Forgotten People? Haitian Town Ravaged by Quake

LEOGANE, Haiti -- Most of the earthquake news coverage in Haiti has focused on the capital city of Port-au-Prince. But some smaller cities in the countryside were also hit hard. One devastated town lost up to 30,000 people in last week's disaster.

A Town in Ruins
St. Rose of Lima once stood as a testament to Haiti's strong Christian heritage. Now the fragile frame is all that's left of the oldest church in Haiti. "We don't know where we are going," Father Maraf Quirand said. "It's like Haiti is finished, the people are finished, it's like the people don't have hope anymore."

The church was the heart of Leogane, a Haitian city located some 20 miles west of Port-au-Prince. The town took a beating from the earthquake. Almost every building was destroyed. Most of the homes have also been damaged.

No one knows for sure, but it has been estimated that between 20,000 and 30,000 people died in Leogane alone. And because much of the world's attention is on Port-au-Prince right now, many are feeling forgotten.

"We are not getting any attention here," one resident said. "We have also suffered a lot. Why isn't anyone coming to help us?"

Relief Arrives
Help finally came Thursday. Catholic relief agency CARITAS partnered with the United Nations to deliver tents, food, and water. "Because of the extent of damage, the reality is that there are still many places beyond this town that have yet to receive aid," CARITAS' Dr. Jean Patrick told CBN News.

One week on, many can't imagine how Haiti can recover from the earthquake. "We feel so miserable," one of the town's quake survivors said. "We have lost everything - our homes and our jobs. Where do we go from here?"

In an effort to speed up aid deliveries, the U.S. is sending in more reinforcements. Some 4,000 troops originally bound for the Middle East will join the 12,000 American men and women deployed to the region.

Meanwhile, the United Nations is adding a couple of thousand more soldiers and police officers to its peacekeeping mission in Haiti.

Still, back in Leogane, Father Quirand worries about the long-term rehabilitation of his community. "I know the aid will eventually reach us, but what about the future," he said. "Who is going to rebuild our homes, our churches?"

On Thursday, U.S. Marines came to the rescue in Leogane delivering much needed food and aid to the people that had felt like they'd been forgotten. It's estimated that about 2 million Haitians will need food supplies for the next six months.

USS Bataan, Operation Blessing Treat Haiti Victims

The U.S. Navy is rushing relief supplies to Haiti and providing medical assistance for quake victims on board its ships. They are also also transporting vital help from Operation Blessing.

As the men of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit went ashore in Haiti to assist with relief and recovery, the sailors on the USS Bataan have stayed busy keeping the pipeline of aid flowing into the country.

When the Marines find someone in need of urgent medical care, they can be given a short helicopter ride to the Baatan's fully-stocked hospital for treatment. The medical staff aboard the ship has been working overtime for the past few days, caring for dozens of locals injured in the earthquake.

Joaquin Jason, a Creole-speaking Marine, is a volunteer for this mission. "The first thing I tell them is, 'Hey, do you know you're on a boat,'" Jason said. "And they are shocked and surprised to hear that they are on a boat. One patient told me it's the grace of God that we came down that sent us down here to help."

A miracle baby named Wilson was rescued by the men of the Bataan. When they first found him, he was so sick that they did not think he was going to survive. But he is doing quite a bit better now.

"In fact, when I grabbed little Wilson, he was lifeless," a Marine said. "In fact, nightfall had came upon us and I wasn't even sure if he was breathing. So, I was calling for flashlights. He was really dehydrated. He hadn't eaten in seven days and was malnourished. Probably the water they were drinking wasn't good. We don't trust any water other source right now. It's all contaminated. But they survived on what they had to survive with."

Clean water has always been a challenge, but it is even more critical now that the country's infrastructure has been all but wiped out. While little Wilson was recuperating in the Bataan's sick bay, another ship arrived from Newport News, Virginia. It pulled alongside and began transferring even more relief supplies into her cargo hold. The "replenishment at sea is where where helicopters pick up each pallet and moving them from one ship to the other. Among them are ten large water filtration units supplied by Operation Blessing.

"These units were purchased by Operation Blessing specifically for the people of Haiti," a staff member said. "These particular units produce 10,000 gallons of potable or drinking water, fresh water each day."

In addition to the water filters, Operation Blessing supplied more than 200 pallets of baby food and bottled water so that hopefully the other "Wilsons" out there can have the food and drinking water they need without having to take a helicopter ride.