Haiti

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on January 12, 2010, killed an estimated 230,000 people and left 1.3 million homeless. The world has responded to this disaster with more than $10 billion in pledged aid, making Haiti one of the biggest-ever emergency aid recipients. The intent is to reshape the future of the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country.

But big questions remain: How should this money be spent, and where? What should the new Haiti look like? And, most importantly, how can we ensure that all this aid creates lasting change? Many in the international aid community see Haiti, and the aid flowing into it, as a groundbreaking experiment. Critics of the aid effort say little progress has been because of a corrupt government. But many innovative non-profit organizations are working on the ground in Haiti and trying to make progress despite the obstacles. The stakes are huge. If large-scale aid can work in Haiti, Western nations may follow through on their aid commitments in other parts of the developing world.

The Toussaint Louverture International Airport (Aéroport International Toussaint Louverture also known as Maïs Gâté), which opened in 1965, is located north of the Port Au Prince. It is Haiti's major airport, and handles the vast majority of the country's international flights. Haiti is a three hour flight from Miami and less than six hours from New York.