▁the ▁earth qu ake , ▁which ▁ham per ed ▁rescue ▁and ▁aid ▁efforts ; ▁confusion ▁over ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁charge , ▁air ▁traffic ▁con g estion , ▁and ▁problems ▁with ▁prior it isation ▁of ▁fl ights ▁further ▁complicated ▁early ▁relief ▁work . ▁Port - au - Pr ince ' s ▁m org ues ▁were ▁over wh el med ▁with ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁bodies . ▁These ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁buried ▁in ▁mass ▁gra ves . ▁As ▁res c ues ▁ta iled ▁off , ▁supplies , ▁medical ▁care ▁and ▁san itation ▁became ▁prior ities . ▁Del ays ▁in ▁aid ▁distribution ▁led ▁to ▁angry ▁appe als ▁from ▁aid ▁workers ▁and ▁surv iv ors , ▁and ▁lo oting ▁and ▁sp or adic ▁violence ▁were ▁observed . ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁January ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁emer gency ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁relief ▁operation ▁was ▁drawing ▁to ▁a ▁close , ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁following ▁day ▁the ▁H ait ian ▁government ▁officially ▁called ▁off ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁surv iv ors . ▁ ▁Writing ▁and ▁recording ▁ ▁The ▁gen esis ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁came ▁with ▁Jay - Z ▁collabor ator ▁Sw izz ▁Be atz ▁sending ▁simultane ous ▁text ▁messages ▁to ▁Jay - Z ▁and ▁B ono . ▁They ▁agreed ▁to ▁collabor ate ▁on ▁a ▁single , ▁and ▁B ono ▁wrote ▁the ▁hook ▁for ▁" Str and ed " ▁while ▁on ▁the ▁phone ▁with ▁Be atz . ▁The ▁latter ▁said , ▁" The ▁idea ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁is ▁' We ' re ▁not ▁g onna ▁leave ▁you ▁str and