Scenes From Haiti: Six Months of Hell, and Hope

Haiti: After the Quake

On Jan. 12, Haitians watched a magnitude-7.0 earthquake level much of their already-impoverished nation. Six months after the temblor crumbled government buildings, shattered national infrastructure and left thousands homeless, many residents still live in temporary shelters, struggling to survive.

Haiti: After the Quake

In the days after the massive earthquake, photojournalist Emily Troutman documented a nation of people whose small ambitions had been lost in the dust. Here, people gather on the collapsed entrance of the Grand Rue, an urban community of artists.

Haiti: After the Quake

Rescuers scoured mounds of rubble searching for survivors in the days after the quake. Napoli Inn in downtown Port-au-Prince collapsed, trapping 24-year-old Wismond Exantus inside, among others.

Haiti: After the Quake

Exantus was discovered alive, buried in the debris, on Jan. 24, 12 days after the temblor and the same day Haiti officially ended the hunt for survivors.

Haiti: After the Quake

A crowd that had gathered at Napoli Inn rejoiced at the news that Exantus had been rescued. Two days later, hope that other survivors would be found in the rubble receded, as heavy machinery tearing down vulnerable structures unearthed more bodies.

Haiti: After the Quake

While the nation grieved for the dead, those injured in the disaster flooded hospitals lacking the staff and equipment to treat many patients. Marlene, 27, was transported to St. Nicolas Hospital in the coastal town of St. Marc to receive care for a broken pelvis. The hospital had no X-ray capacity and no plates to repair the bone, so Marlene remained unable to walk and spent her days in bed.

Haiti: After the Quake

The problem of caring for the injured extended far beyond the hospital bed. With many houses destroyed, even those well enough to leave the hospital were left without a place to go. Thousands of displaced people set up camp outside St. Nicolas Hospital, as tent cities popped up on street corners and hillsides throughout the nation.

Haiti: After the Quake

Aid groups trying to get food to hungry survivors became mired down in complex coordination and distribution challenges. Here, desperate crowds gather outside the mayor's office in Petionville, a suburb of the capital, nearly a month after the earthquake. "They think City Hall gives the food," the mayor said. "I tell them, 'OK, I understand. If I had the food I would give it to you.' But [the international organizations] don't deal with City Hall."

Haiti: After the Quake

In an effort to avoid violence, officials only allowed women to receive food aid at this distribution point on Route de Freres. But many women found the supplies too heavy to carry. Here, a younger woman offers to carry rice for an older, injured woman, but must negotiate a price to do so -- and convince the older woman she will not steal the bag.

Haiti: After the Quake

Despite the disaster, young Haitians did their best to adapt to the adverse conditions. Here, children take advantage of a steep decline, using plastic bottles to improvise a slide.

Haiti: After the Quake