During the 20th century deeper problems continued
as the county lacked the resources to build itself into a nation worthy of the
sovereignty it sought with such vigor.
Illiteracy, violence, organized crime, political corruption,
destitution, disease and death make it one of the most impoverished nations in
the world today. The January 2010 earthquake was a major
setback for educational and health care reform in Haiti as it diverted limited
resources from reform to survival. Literacy levels remain near 50%. Haiti is one of the lowest-ranked countries
in the world, 177th out of 186, for national spending on education (Franz). Haiti
was devastated by the earthquake that left behind more than 10 million cubic
meters of debris. Densely populated slums consist of ramshackle houses and 1.5
million people have been displaced to 1,300 settlement sites. Pope Benedict XVI expressed his prayer
that God would grant peace and consolation to Haiti and promised that "the
Catholic Church, through her institutions, will remain beside the people tried
by this disaster beyond the lively emotions that have been aroused… In this
moment of darkness," Pope Benedict XVI stated, "I invoke Our Lady of
Perpetual Help that she would be a mother of tenderness and guide hearts so
that solidarity will prevail over isolation and the attitude of ‘every man for
himself.’” (Benedict XVI)
