The world is still trying to come to grips with a human tragedy on a scale usually found in history books, as global attention remains focused on the massive loss of life in Haiti, and the giant task of rebuilding from one of the most powerful earthquakes to strike in recent times.

Haiti has been a place of such enormous suffering for so long, that it seemed the world was beginning to accept that as reality. This, along with having a history of leaders who turned their backs on the people, while using brutal force to remain in power.

Haiti, the site of a successful slave revolt and the second country in the Western Hemisphere after the United States to gain its Independence, has been the victim of so many external and internal wrongs that finding people to blame for its current woes is extraordinarily easy.

But there can be no doubt that a series of highly questionable leaders later left a trail of desperate people living in the depth of poverty while they enjoyed whatever fruits the land had to offer.

In recent times Haiti has been the story of despair despite assistance from various religious groups from around the world, who even today continue to help in trying to reshape the plight of so many there.

Lying in the path of hurricanes, they have also endured successive hits that left an already impoverished country in dire need, made worse by the fact the country is almost entirely deforested.

But the worst was yet to come. When the recent earthquake struck, at first it seemed like just another setback, until the full scope of damage began to reach all corners of the earth, and it became clear Haiti had suffered a blow that touched the hearts of the entire world.

As the light of day began to show the extent of the devastation, the world began to react as never before. US President Barack Obama lost no time in ordering massive aid along with a number of countries to assist in finding a way back from a degree of suffering seldom seen in this region.

When so many lives are swallowed up in such a catastrophic manner, numbers do not convey the magnitude of the tragedy. Millions of stories will never be told, but no one will forget the stories of efforts to save lives that did make it to the world, via brave reporters who put themselves at risk in order to keep the world informed.

Who can forget the 11-year-old girl with breads, who was pinned beneath a slate of concrete as rescuers toiled to free her.

The world watched as this brave little girl, who wanted to become a lawyer, held the hand of a reporter covering the incident, as she tried to remain calm while in great pain. It was difficult to watch on the television screen, but one can only imagine the anguish of those involved in the rescue operation.

They lacked the proper machinery and tools, but never gave up. Eventually she was pulled free amid cheers from the team. The joy however was short-lived, as she was unable to survive the night from severe injuries. Just one of the stories that shattered hearts around the world.

Then as if to lift spirits, there was the little baby who survived under a cloud of dust and rubble as rescuers discovered the infant with hardly a scratch. Just one of the many miracles that occurred throughout a country torn apart by the power of an earth quake.

The world response has been on such a scale, that it prompted one Haitian being interviewed by the BBC to remark that when the dust finally settles on this dark moment, it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. In other words, perhaps now Haiti will get the help it so desperately needs.

Whether that actually happens will depend on what occurs when the news cameras finally leave for other stories. On this note, President Obama has harnessed the skills of two former US Presidents to oversee continuity in the rebuilding of this shattered country, and finding a better way forward.

Much credit should also be given to CNN for helping to keep the full picture of this indescribable horror before the world, with a team of outstanding reporters who even now remain on the front lines of the tragedy.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who travelled to Haiti commented on bad leaders over the years who did little to enhance the living standards of that country. One indelible image is the size of the now-collapsed Presidential Palace, in the middle of some of the largest slum areas in the world. Something was terribly wrong there.

The world cannot allow Haiti to sink back into an abyss of human degradation.