Michelle Obama pays surprise visit to Haiti!

First lady Michelle Obama made an unannounced visit to disaster-stricken Haiti on Tuesday and said she was struck by the devastation inflicted by the January 12 earthquake on the poor Caribbean country.



Photo source

Starting her first solo international trip as first lady, the 46-year-old wife of President Barack Obama made the stopover in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince en route to an April 13-15 visit to Mexico. She arrived with Jill Biden, the wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

"It's powerful. The devastation is definitely powerful," Obama told reporters when asked for her first impressions after flying over the wrecked Haitian capital in a U.S. Army helicopter.

She was greeted at the presidential palace, which partly collapsed in the quake, by President Rene Preval and his wife.

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (R) and Jill Biden, wife of U.S. vice president Joe Biden (L) visit the destroyed national palace in Port-au-Prince April 13, 2010
Photo source


The first lady and Mrs. Biden visited a center for child quake victims in Port-au-Prince, where children welcomed her with a song, and then joined them in painting.

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (L) and Elisabeth Debrosse, wife of Haitian President Rene Preval, dance with children during her visit to Port-au-Prince April 13, 2010
Photo source

U.S first lady Michelle Obama (C) sits with Jill Biden (L), wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Elisabeth Debrosse (back R), wife of Haitian President Rene Preval, and children at a local children's welfare project during her visit to Port-au-Prince April 13, 2010.
Photo source

Source