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People wave at a helicopter in the center of Port-au-Prince, on January 14, 2010, following the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12.

When all is said and done the earthquake in Haiti will probably rank as the worst natural disaster to ever strike the Western Hemisphere. The rush is on to coordinate as much relief aid into Haiti as possible, and to get as many search-and-rescue workers on the ground to save people still trapped under collapsed buildings. With so many problems facing Haiti before the earthquake struck this relief mission will pose a particular challenge—how to assist a failed state further devastated by a massive quake?

Guests:

Ken Ellingwood is a correspondent in the Mexico City bureau of the Los Angeles Times and the author of "Hard Line: Life and Death on the U.S.-Mexico Border."

Jonathan Aiken, spokesperson and director media relations, for the American Red Cross