From an airplane flying into the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, you see the extent of destruction from last week’s earthquake and the mass displacement it has created.

Every park, every square, every athletic field, even large gardens are occupied by people made homeless by the quake. The lucky ones have mattresses, a few pots and a bit of privacy offered by sheets hung from trees or poles. Makeshift roofs made of blue plastic sheeting protect from the blazing sun.

The International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Response Team is on the ground in Haiti, joining other rescue workers delivering aid to hundreds of thousands of Haitians in desperate need of food, clean water and shelter.
 
On Sunday, the team visited 13 sites in the battered city of Port-au-Prince to assess damage and determine where to deliver humanitarian assistance.
 

In a move strongly supported by the International Rescue Committee and other refugee advocates, the Obama administration on January 15 extended special protection to Haitian nationals living in the United States.