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Photos: A Determined Quest For Essentials With desperation growing, looting is on the rise. But even guns could not keep some Haitians from their mission to obtain much-needed essentials from the rubble.
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Photos: A Determined Quest For Essentials

  • A Haitian man grips his knife as he prepares to enter a shop near downtown Port-au-Prince Sunday.
    A Haitian man grips his knife as he prepares to enter a shop near downtown Port-au-Prince Sunday.
    All photos by David Gilkey/NPR/NPR
  • He emerges with a bag of goods, prepared to defend himself from others seeking food.
    He emerges with a bag of goods, prepared to defend himself from others seeking food.
    Photos by David Gilkey/NPR
  • Even after police fire shots in the air, another group returns to the building, passing the items out as quickly as they can.
    Even after police fire shots in the air, another group returns to the building, passing the items out as quickly as they can.
    Photos by David Gilkey/NPR
  • A Haitian man, draped in a French flag, guards a government building with a shotgun near the Port-au-Prince waterfront.
    A Haitian man, draped in a French flag, guards a government building with a shotgun near the Port-au-Prince waterfront.
    Photos by David Gilkey/NPR
  • A man who has retrieved a pair of scissors from the rubble defends his actions to the guard.
    A man who has retrieved a pair of scissors from the rubble defends his actions to the guard.
    Photos by David Gilkey/NPR
  • A Haitian man removes a bundle of goods from a collapsed store near Port-au-Prince.
    A Haitian man removes a bundle of goods from a collapsed store near Port-au-Prince.
    Photos by David Gilkey/NPR
  • Haitian men distribute water and soda they took from a market in shambles.
    Haitian men distribute water and soda they took from a market in shambles.
    Photos by David Gilkey/NPR
  • Haitians gather outside a store to buy rice and wheat in downtown Port-au-Prince. Food is scarce and prices have skyrocketed since Tuesday.
    Haitians gather outside a store to buy rice and wheat in downtown Port-au-Prince. Food is scarce and prices have skyrocketed since Tuesday.
    Photos by David Gilkey/NPR

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A Haitian man grips his knife as he prepares to enter a shop near downtown Port-au-Prince. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

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David Gilkey/NPR

A Haitian man grips his knife as he prepares to enter a shop near downtown Port-au-Prince.

David Gilkey/NPR

With desperation growing, looting is on the rise. But even guns could not keep some Haitians from their mission to obtain much-needed essentials from the rubble.