On Jan. 12, 2010, one of the most devastating earthquakes in recorded history leveled the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Those responsible for handling the catastrophe, including the Haitian government and the United Nations, were among the victims. In The Quake, FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith bears witness to the scale of the disaster and takes viewers on a searing journey into the camps, hospitals and broken neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. Featuring never-before-seen footage of the moments after the earthquake and interviews with top officials from Port-au-Prince to Washington, the film ultimately asks, how will the world respond?

"Beyond immediate relief efforts lies a harder task," says FRONTLINE's Smith. "The world has to decide whether to simply patch up Haiti now or to take on the far more ambitious goal of building a functional Haitian state."

Haiti has more NGOs per capita than any other country in the world. For years, foreign assistance bypassed the Haitian government, leaving it weak and vulnerable. The Quake examines how, this time, things might be done differently.

"This is an opportunity to rethink how aid works and how we, the most powerful country in this part of the world, can work with our oldest neighbor," says Dr. Paul Farmer. "So I think all that possibility is built into this tragedy."

In this video excerpt from The Quake consider the challenges faced by those responsible for handling the catastrophe, including the Haitian state and the United Nations, who were crippled by disaster and struggled to effectively respond:

Video Segment Themes:

• In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Haitian government refused to address the nation during the first week. Many Haitians were angry and doubted the government’s ability to lead the country’s recovery.
• The United Nations stepped in to fill the gap and provide aid, but it lacked the capacity to organize relief efforts as its headquarters had been decimated, its food supplies ruined, and 101 U.N. workers had been killed in the quake.
• Outside relief was slow to reach Haiti, and when it did, distribution and aid efforts were uncoordinated: Roads were congested; flights were not prioritized.
• The international community rallied to support the people of Haiti, but it is unclear who will ultimately be responsible for rebuilding the country.
• In the meantime, Haitian citizens lacked basic supplies, food and water were scarce, and medical care was unavailable, leaving many Haitians suffering from their injuries.

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