Six Months After the Earthquake, Ray Suarez returns to Haiti to Report on Efforts to Rebuild

On Monday, July 12, 2010 the PBS NEWSHOUR will launch a five-part series on Haiti’s efforts to rebuild six months after a devastating earthquake struck Port au Prince.  PBS NewsHour Senior Correspondent Ray Suarez returns to the country to report on the impact of the disaster on the nation’s politics, culture, and health care system.  The reports continue each night through Thursday, July 15 (check local listings). 

Monday, July 12    Ray Suarez will return to many of the locations he visited in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake to give an overview of what has worked and what hasn’t in the recovery effort. 

Tuesday, July 13   Haitian President Rene Preval will sit down with Ray Suarez to discuss the government’s efforts to cope with the aftermath of the disaster and its attempt to rebuild infrastructure. 

Wednesday, July 14  Six months after Haiti’s earthquake, Haitians are living on streets and in makeshift camps where safety is an issue.  For many the loss and insecurity is overwhelming. Medical teams from NGO’s, like Doctors without Borders, are increasingly treating mental illness as well as physical ailments. 

Thursday, July 15 An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 Haitians lost limbs in the January earthquake. Many amputations were crudely done, often in a race to save a life. Suarez profiles a former professional dancer who lost his leg after being trapped under rubble for three days and is now working to rebuild his career.  Suarez also visits with many amputees who face on-going surgeries, fittings for prosthetics, and difficulty navigating Haiti’s rough terrain. 

Coverage continues online, the NewsHour’s website will feature blog posts, photos and slide shows before and during the series.   Ray Suarez blogged his initial thoughts on the trip July 7. Reporter Talea Miller posted photos July 8 illustrating Haiti’s economy and the process of getting people back to work after the disaster. Each weekday through July 15, a new post will be added to the NewsHour’s Rundown blog. Topics will include the battle to keep infectious disease outbreaks at bay, the problem of rape in the tent cities, and the attempt of some Haitians to return to their former homes.

The Haiti series is produced by the PBS NewsHour’s Global Health Unit which is funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

PBS NEWSHOUR is seen five nights a week on more than 315 PBS stations across the country and is also available online, via public radio in select markets and via podcast. The program is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, in association with WETA Washington, DC, and THIRTEEN in New York. Major corporate funding for The NewsHour is provided by Chevron, Bank of America and Intel, with additional support from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.