Haiti celebrates Carnival with a parade through the streets of Port-au-Prince

Big bands, street performers and colourful dancers took the street of Port-au-Prince on 13th February for the Carnival parade marking the start of Lent.

The Carnival's joyous and free-wheeling atmosphere is one of the highlights of Haiti's calendar, a country that, despite its dazzling natural beauty, remains one of the poorest in the world. The Champ de Mars is the epicentre for the action during the day and there are plenty of food stalls everywhere in the city selling rum and barbecued food.