After a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, outside organizations flocked to the country to help it recover.

High food prices have swelled the number of people going hungry around the world. Food aid is also a culprit, say some experts.

The election of René Préval as Haiti’s president earlier this year raised hopes the region’s poorest country was finally ready to move toward social and economic stability. But chronic concerns about gang violence and the UN commitment to Haiti have resurfaced again.

With nearly all the votes counted, frontrunner and crowd favorite René Préval wins only 48 percent of the vote in Haiti, forcing a March runoff and prompting violent protests that left at least one dead.

Haitians cast ballots in a chaotic February 7 election, the first since Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted two years ago. But it will take more than the restoration of democracy to cure Haiti's ills.

Haitians choose a president and legislature on February 7 in long-delayed elections seen as crucial in lifting the country out of poverty. The vote takes place during a time of high unemployment and rampant violence but credible polls could lead to much-needed foreign investment.

Listen to experts discuss the political and economic challenges facing Haiti and the role foreign aid can play in the country's recovery and development.

Listen to CFR's Kara McDonald discuss the international response to the devastating January 12 earthquake in Haiti.

The cholera epidemic that has added to the list of Haiti's post-earthquake miseries is a reminder that what Haiti needs more than anything else is good governance that would lead to better infrastructure and safe water.

The $9.9 billion pledged toward Haitian reconstruction at last week's donors' conference will be ineffective without insisting that funding for housing and jobs be wedded to overall goals for Haitian political and economic stability, says CFR expert Kara McDonald.

Haiti's earthquake lays bare woeful political and economic dysfunctions, but in the global disaster response, there is a chance to get aid right, writes CFR's Kara C. McDonald.

Can Haiti rebuild better, with improved stability and prosperity? Four top experts stress different approaches to enable Haitians to rebuild and sustain their economy and public sector.

One year after Haiti's earthquake, a contested presidential election, the return of Baby Doc Duvalier, and problems with redevelopment hobble the country's efforts to rebuild, says Haitian philanthropist Jacques-Philippe Piverger.

Haiti's cholera outbreak is exacerbated by unclean water and a subpar sanitation system, and lagging infrastructure repairs highlight the inadequate global response to the country's earthquake in January, says CFR's Laurie Garrett.

Haiti's earthquake created a need for a tremendous short-term relief effort but also long-term reconstruction that could take decades and cost billions, says former Peace Corps director Mark L. Schneider.

On the annual occasion of World AIDS day, CFR health expert Laurie Garrett points to problems in tracking and addressing the disease.

A year and a half after the island was reduced to rubble by an earthquake, the world's unprecedented effort to rebuild it has turned into a disaster of good intentions.