Theo Sitther writes for PeaceSigns about his recent trip to Haiti:
In August, I visited Haiti as part of a delegation of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) staff. The purpose of this trip was to meet with MCC’s staff in Haiti, connect with partner organizations and to gain a firsthand look at the situation on the ground. The following are some key insights that we learned from this visit.
Decentralization: One reason for the large scale of the disaster is that aid, development, and economic policies have historically focused on Port-au-Prince. Many of Haiti’s rural areas were neglected and neo-liberal economic policies devastated Haiti’s agriculture. This forced many to migrate to the capital city to find work. People were crowded into dense slums, factories, and homes when the earth shook and the buildings collapsed.
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MCC Washington Memo 