Because the day is holy to the Lord, Ezra informs the people in next Sunday’s first reading, they are to “eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared.” Troops, doctors, and aid workers flowed into Haiti this week even while victims of the quake that killed an estimated 200,000 people still scrambled to find a cup of water or a handful of food.

The massive international effort has been struggling with logistical problems, and many Haitians are still desperate for food and water. The World Food Program said more than 250,000 ready-to-eat food rations had been distributed in Haiti by Tuesday, reaching only a fraction of the 3 million people thought to be in critical need.

Governments have pledged nearly $1 billion in aid, and thousands of tons of food and medical supplies have been shipped. But much remains trapped in warehouses. Port-au-Prince’s nonfunctioning seaport and many impassable roads have complicated efforts to get aid to the people. The challenges were heightened Wednesday when the most powerful aftershock yet struck, shaking rubble from already damaged buildings and sending screaming people running into the streets.

The U.S. Navy’s floating hospital, U.S.N.S. Comfort, which was already treating two severely injured quake victims, dropped anchor Wednesday in view of Port-au-Prince. The ship carries about 550 medical staff and 60 civilian mariners.

Search-and-rescue teams have emerged from the city’s ruins with some improbable success stories, including the rescue of a 69-year-old ardent Catholic who said she prayed constantly during her week under the rubble. Ena Zizi had been at a church meeting at the residence of Haiti’s Roman Catholic archbishop when the January 12 quake struck, trapping her in debris. On Tuesday she was rescued by a Mexican disaster team.

Zizi said that after the quake she spoke back and forth with a vicar who also was trapped. But he fell silent after a few days, and she spent the rest of the time praying and waiting. “I talked only to my boss, God,” she said. “I didn’t need any more humans.”

Source: Articles by Paul Haven and Michelle Faul for Associated Press and Mary Beth Sheridan
and William Booth for the Washington Post