Haiti Marks One-Year Anniversary of Earthquake

Official and impromptu ceremonies are being held across the country Wednesday to mourn the 230,000 people killed in the disaster.

It was one year ago today that a powerful earthquake rocked the country, which was already crippled by poverty. Today Haitians are marking that somber anniversary, with many attending early morning church services and converging at mass graves in Port-au-Prince where thousands of unidentified victims are buried. In Montreal, which has a large Haitian population, numerous events are planned including a moment of silence at 4:53 pm, the time the earthquake struck. On Tuesday former governor general and current UN Special Envoy to Haiti Michaëlle Jean issued a statement condemning the international community’s slow response to the disaster, saying that many Haitians are still living in the same desperate conditions they were a year ago.