Haiti quietly marks third anniversary of earthquake that devastated the country in Port-au-Prince

WPTV Port-au-Prince Haiti earthquake national cathedral

The destroyed Port-au-Prince cathedral is seen January 8, 2011 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The one-year anniversary of the Haitian earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people is January 12, 2011. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Photographer: Mario Tama
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Posted: 01/12/2013

By: Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- President Michel Martelly has presided over a simple ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the killer earthquake that devastated the Caribbean country.

The brief gathering was held Saturday where the National Palace stood before it collapsed in the temblor and was later demolished. Several dozen black-clad senior government officials and diplomats attended.

The disaster killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than a million others. Reconstruction has been slow because of political paralysis, the scale of devastation and a trickle of aid.

The last two years, Jan. 12 was observed as a national holiday to remember the quake. This year, the government said the day would no longer be a holiday but called for the Haitian flag to be flown at half-mast and for nightclubs to close.