The Quake

This PBS-aired Frontline episode focuses on the earthquake that leveled the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and much of the surrounding countryside in January 2010, examining the catastrophe within the larger context of Haiti's checkered history. Although the quake itself wasn't particularly powerful, several hundred thousand residents were killed in the disaster. Despite dramatic news coverage of rescues, most of the victims trapped in the rubble died (supplies were short, and doctors were often forced to operate without anesthesia). The homeless took refuge in unsanitary makeshift camps, although government leaders were conspicuously absent. Why were relief efforts so slow? And what does the future hold? As the documentary notes, Haiti has a long history of poverty, corruption, substandard building codes, and depleted natural resources, as well as a weak political infrastructure dominated by ruling elites known for absorbing foreign aid while resisting change. It wasn't always so: once relatively prosperous, Haiti was known as the “pearl of the Antilles” before it dissolved into a troubled state marked by occupation and exploitation by the U.S. and other countries. Correspondent Martin Smith effectively sketches this broader picture while also interviewing key officials and experts to examine the lack of coordination that marked the aftermath of the crisis (former President Clinton and the U.S. Army, along with volunteer doctors, emerge as the heroes in this sorry story). Offering solid background information while also making some suggestions for moving forward, The Quake is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)