We live in a world where information flashes instantly to us, 24/7. I'm afraid that has left us with the impression that disasters can be handled in the same fashion... instantly.
The all-encompassing tragedies and problems left by the earthquake in Haiti--- complicated even more by the fact that the earth just doesn't seem to want to stop shaking that little island country---can't be erased instantly no matter how many people, how many goods, how much money and expertise and cooperation is applied to the situation.
Too many people are all at once dead, dying, injured, hungry... with the concurrent destruction of any established entity or infrastructure that would be needed to help them quickly. Too many buildings are flattened; too much debris in the way; too many bodies to bury; too many people to rescue and feed...
As for the 24/7 news that constantly complains about the "slowness" in search, rescue, medical and clean-up... perhaps a good first step would have been to set limits on the tremendous number of news organizations at the scene. Such over-population of news creatures is itself creating a problem.
Only one of which is clogging points of entry and exit to the disaster points.