Port-au-Prince

Throughout the political unrest that has long gripped Haiti, one of the few islands of relative calm was the Hotel Oloffson, an ornate gingerbread mansion that hosted generations of tourists, journalists, celebrities, foreign-aid workers and diplomats.

For Patrick Sylvain, Haiti’s current crisis was inevitable. But that doesn’t erase the sorrow he has felt while watching gangs take over the country and the international community left at a loss for action.