Haiti Earthquake (2010)

A catastrophic earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale occurred near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, at 4:53 P.M. on January 12, 2010. In the weeks that followed, several dozen significant aftershocks ensued, measuring between 4.2 and 6.1 in magnitude. In Port-au-Prince, 30 to 50 percent of the buildings collapsed and crushed their occupants. The surrounding towns of Carrefour, Léogâne, and Jacmel, among others, were also devastated. An estimated 250,000 people were killed, 250,000 were wounded, 1.2 million (one in nine) became homeless, and 3 million were drastically impacted. One million children were either orphaned or lost one parent. The earthquake was the worst natural disaster in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

Port-au-Prince's docks, airport control tower, hospitals, schools, government buildings, hotels, and entire [Page 259]towns and neighborhoods were pulverized. The United Nations (UN), serving as peacekeepers for the Haitian government, also suffered many fatalities. 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed. Partners in Health, the medical organization for the poor cofounded by Dr. Paul Farmer, set up an emergency clinic to treat victims. Farmer, a UN Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti, described the earthquake as an “acute-on-chronic affliction” since it occurred in one of the poorest countries on Earth and followed several years of extreme weather disasters, including four hurricanes in 2008 and flooding in 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2007. The government, fragile before the earthquake and shattered after it, had no emergency plan or first responders in place. Consequently, it immediately requested international aid.

U.S. Army soldiers and the Jordanian United Nations help earthquake survivors carry 100-pound bags of rice in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 13, 2010. Coordinated by Save the Children, 904 bags of rice were distributed to hundreds of displaced survivors

Haitian citizens quickly began digging for family and friends while 1,700 well-equipped foreign search-and-rescue teams started in on the third day. Early responses focused on U.S. military command, search and rescue (SAR), medical treatment for the wounded, and the mass burial or burning of corpses. Relief efforts began haltingly one week after the earthquake, including the reestablishment of communications; arrival of security forces; distribution of food, water, water purification systems, clothing, and tent shelters for the homeless; and efforts at managing human waste and sanitation.

Low Infrastructure Standards, High Death Toll

Due to the destruction and unrelenting aftershocks, 3 million people in the earthquake region slept outside. The affected areas were dry, but many feared the arrival of rain since it would hasten the spread of illnesses in squatter camps, cause landslides, and bring down more structures. Aid workers hoped to move victims out of floodplains into refugee camps, and trash and debris were cleaned from ravines to eliminate breeding grounds for disease. By mid-February, there were only 7,000 tents out of the 200,000 needed, and the Haitian government did not have the $60 million necessary to buy them. Also essential, but lacking, were tarpaulins; latrines; composting toilets; and fertilizer, seed, and [Page 260]tools for the planting season. Hunger and starvation became widespread. Many refused to move to refugee camps, and instead began rebuilding using the same unsafe methods out of fear of land invasion.

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