Major Earthquake in Haiti

On 12 January 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale destroyed vast areas of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and its surroundings. The earthquake’s epicenter lay only twenty-five kilometers from Port-au-Prince. The capital city, with its 1.2 million inhabitants, was completely unprepared for the disaster. For Haiti—one of the poorest countries in Latin America—the consequences of the earthquake were devastating: 220,000 dead, 190,000 destroyed houses, 3,978 destroyed or heavily damaged schools, 30 destroyed hospitals, and 19 million cubic meters of soot. The earthquake was followed by a tropical hurricane, making rescue operations even more difficult. Unhygienic conditions and shortages in medical supplies led to a cholera epidemic, which claimed the lives of another 5,000 people. In spite of international aid and countless personal donations, recovery has been slow and hampered by corruption and political instability.