Desperate Need for Infrastructure in Haiti

(CBS/ AP)  To see crowds growing and pushing outside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, you'd think the biggest job for America's military and diplomats is handling the tears and tempers of people desperate to get to U.S. shores, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker. But their biggest concern is getting this country, knocked to its knees, back on its feet. The first order of business is infrastructure repair.

"Top five is the port, the airfield, the electrical grid, the road system and the water system," said Col. Rick Kaiser with the Army Corp of Engineers.

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The American military built a new control tower at the airport. Since Sunday, 160 planes land a day instead of 30. It repaired one of the capital's damaged docks - now 150 containers can unload a day.

Sergeant First Class Jason Jacot is helping turn the lights back on in Port-au-Prince. Electricity has been down since the quake.

"They are at zero, but they are making progress," Jacot said. "They're going to try and put a transmission line on tonight."

Then there's the massive job of rebuilding. Even with world governments focused on Haiti and private charitable giving nearing half billion dollars, there's no end to suffering in sight.

Just clearing debris from Port-au-Prince will take at least a year. As many as 1 million people - one person in nine across the entire country - need to find new shelter, the United Nations estimates, and there are too few tents, let alone safe buildings, to put them in. No one is under any illusions.

"The reconstruction of Haiti will take years, there's no doubt about that," said Gordon Duguid with the U.S. State Department.

Relief agencies are rushing in 100,000 tents, a temporary solution to get Haitians off the streets before the rains come.

Haiti's government wants many of the homeless to leave the capital city of 2 million people, to look for better shelter with relatives or others elsewhere. Officials estimate that about 235,000 have taken advantage of its offer of free transport to leave the city, and many others left on their own, some even walking.

Key officials from around the world met Monday in Montreal to discuss ways to coordinate relief efforts in Haiti. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among those attending.

The world's nations have pledged some $1 billion in emergency aid to Haiti. Organizers of Friday night's "Hope for Haiti Now" international telethon reported the event raised $57 million, with more pledges from ordinary people still coming in.

[xyzseeyou]

I do not usualy respond to any posting pssitive or negitive. I am nor a religious person, have policital adgend, or servered in the military. Life hands us all in the world the best and worst some persavere some extingtioish. It's true as american to look after your own family, the members who serve us in military, other honorable profession that serve other selflishy without asking for anything in return.

But i am horrified by the insenative of other that have so much to play the blame game or point thier finger.

A simple word of wisdom; do somethiong about it and quick your belling acking. We have all the resouces here that others will never have in thier live time. Freadom of speach has it greatness and shown here as it's weakness.

[payasyougo]

9,780,064 - the population of Hait.

2,000,000,000 - the aamount of dollars the U.S. has provided for infrastructure to Haiti over the last 10 years.

0 - What Haiti has to show for it.

[tryingtobecaring]

You are a mindless and apparently spelling challenged buffoon. You need to check your stated "facts" because they are foundless. I guess that assumes you are literate. OOps I forgot you are clearly challenged in that field.

[SIKCHUTNAY]

NATURALLY THE REST OF THE WORLD IS TAKING A BACKSEAT WHILE THE U.S. AGAIN DEPLETES ITSELF ASSISTING YET ANOTHER COUNTRY WHO WOULD"FLIP THE BIRD" AT US IN A FLASH.

[erb0087]

Haiti is like America's little sister.

They fought for their freedom against a European colonial power, just as we did.

The earthquake in Haiti has killed more people than the total CASUALTIES of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, four months after the bomb was dropped.

If we don't do everything we can to help Haiti, than all the talk about liberating distant nations like Iraq and Afghanistan, will be empty rhetoric.

[erb0087]

then

"...then all the talk..."

[SIKCHUTNAY]

WE NEED TO REBUILD OUR OWN INFRASTRUCTURE AND FIX OUR PROBLEMS BEFORE WORRYING ABOUT OTHERS. HAITI IS HAITI AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE HAITI NO MATTER WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL HELP THEY GET, A CORRUPT WASTELAND!! YEARS AFTER KATRINA, NEW ORLEANS HAS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO!!

[babooph]

US also is in great need of infrastructure,after decades of insane military spending-even sacrificing the healthcare system,little has been available....

[TerryMock]

Can We Rebuild a Sustainable Haiti?
http://www.sldi.org/newService/SLDIJan2010.html

Haiti was devastated by yet another catastrophic event that literally drives the inevitible outcome of unsustainable land development into the ground. Beyond the immediate relief efforts, perhaps now is the time to seriously consider restoring a sustainable Haiti...

Sustainable Land Development International (SLDI) Sets Sights on Haiti
http://www.sldtonline.com/content/view/632/

The SLDI Code? - The World?s 1st Sustainable Land Development Best Practices System
http://www.sldi.org/images/Research/sldi%20in%20focus%20-%20world%5C%27s%20first%20sldbp%20system%20introduced.pdf

Sustainable Land Development International
www.SLDI.org

[mcapek]

I think emergency help, such as food, water, medical aid, temporary security forces, restoring electric, etc. is the right thing to do, but the US government better give us detailed long term plans before starting to spend our tax money on some massive reconstruction projects, such as new housing for 1 million people in a foreign land!

I suggest donating Haitians tents that they can live in until they start rebuilding their own country with their own hands. Who wants to see the scenario when we are spending countless billions on reconstruction of Haiti, while they are sitting idly in camps?

[newsworthy8]

Is this really a thing to do after a huge quack like they had. I think this needs to have a little thought first. I hope America does not get involved in this..

[billkol]

Bill Kolek says " Two boys were riding their motor scooter down a road in Porta-au-Prince, in their colorful outfits, when 5 bags of rice fell off a passing truck. The got off their scooter and were told by the driver that they could keep the rice. At this same time the Haitian police saw what was happening and saw these two boys picking up the rice. One police officer, alarmed at what he saw, shot both boys in the back. One of the boys could still speak although he could not move. The other boy lay on the ground, obviously dying, as he was bleeding from the eyes and mouth and his hands and arms were trembling. Meanwhile, this was all being filmed by CNN crews, as they just happened to arrive at the scene as this whole thing unfolded. They made no attempt to help the boys but they kept filming, recording this for others to see and judge."