Haiti- Three Months Later: A Tale of Two Camps: The Old Camps

The Haitian Earthquake left over a million people without shelter, most of whom are still living in displaced persons camps across the Port-au-Prince region. These camps sprung up organically, with people moving to any open ground, and constructing rudimentary shelters for themselves and their children with anything that they could come across: sheets salvaged from destroyed downtown businesses, donated blue tarps, Indian print fabrics, and in some cases sheets of cardboard. The camps are a riot of colors: blue, oranges, pinks, and browns, and, while, main thoroughfares and markets have developed over the months, the layout still feels chaotic, with people living virtually on top of each other in a warren of dense structures. As the rains begin, the oranges and blues that are the predominant sights become enveloped in a thick mud that cracks and dries in the afternoon sun, only to thicken again in the nights showers. Life in these camps is loud, full of slapped down dominoes, shrieking jumprope competitions, and a raucous community that keeps people moving forward day after day.