Haiti Earthquake - 2010

• Facts about Haiti

  • Population = 10 million (1 million live in Port Au Prince)
  • Prior to 2010, it was considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere - 80% of the population live below the poverty line.
  • Only 40% have access to basic health care.
  • Only 67% of children attended primary school.
  • 70% of the population live on less than $2 dollars.
  • 86% of people in Port-au-Prince lived in slum conditions.
• Why did the Earthquake occur?

  • The focus of the January Earthquake was about 13km below the Earth's surface on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault.
  • This fault had been 'locked' for 250 years, gathering stress, so that when this earthquake happened, the rupture in the fault was 65km long, with a slippage of 1.8 metres.
  • Seismologists had already warned that major seismic activity in the area was likely and the 2010 earthquake could be the beginning of a sequence of earthquakes.
• Social Impacts:

  • 230,000 deaths - due to earthquake or immediate aftermath. Included 100 UN personnel and 25% of the country's civil servants.
  • 6,900 deaths - the number of people that died from the Cholera outbreak in November 2011.
  • 1.5 million homeless - having to live in tented camps.
  • 4,000 amputees - the rough estimate of how many earthquake survivors lost limbs.
  • 4,000 prisoners escaped to freedom from the Prison Civile when it destroyed.
• Economic and Environmental Impacts:

  • Magnitude 7 Earthquake - highly damaging!
  • Mercalli Scale of Earthquake intensity level 9
  • 65km rupture of the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault with a slip of 1.8 metres.
  • 52 aftershocks of 4.5 or greater. Largest was 5.9 which caused more building to collapse.
  • 60% of infrastructure, including roads and water systems, in and around Port-au-Prince was destroyed.
  • $8 billion cost of damage and losses
• Aftermath

  • People took sleeping to the streets, on the pavements or in cars because their homes had been flattened, or they feared remaining buildings would collapse due to aftershocks.
  • Because of the lack of building regulations buildings are put up wherever they will fit in, without proper foundations.
  • About 2 million Haitians live as squatters on land they do no own.
  • As Haiti is an LEDC, UN peacekeepers were flown in from Nepal to help with the aftermath. The food they brought contained the Cholera bacteria and caused an outbreak.
• Continuing problems - 2 months later

  • Two months after the quake, in March, the rainy season began.
  • At this point, 500,000 survivors were sleeping rough and 500,000 more were crowded into make-shift camps.
• Continuing Problems - 10 months later

  • Many people still living in makeshift shanty towns or temporary camps or staying in overcrowded accommodation.
  • Little or no access to clean drinking water for many.
• How did the Cholera outbreak occur?

  • Because Haiti is an LEDC and because of the scale of the impacts, UN peacekeepers were flown in from Nepal to help with the aftermath.
  • UN peacekeepers were stationed at Mirebalais.
  • UN peacekeepers brought food with them that contained the Cholera bacteria. An outbreak had occurred in Nepal just before the Nepalese troops were deployed to Haiti.
  • Nepalese UN troops infected with the bacteria flushed their sewerage into the 320km long Artibonite River.
• What were the impacts of the Cholera Outbreak?

  • Diarrhoeal illness began to surface in the rural Artibonite region 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince.
  • By the end of October 2010, the disease had spread to regions surrounding Artibonite with over 4,000 people being treated for the disease.
  • By the end of November, more than 515,000 cases of Cholera had been reported including 7,000 deaths.
  • Haiti's Health Minister declared it 'a matter of national security'.
  • People sick with Cholera cannot attend school or work restricting economic and social recovery.
• Would the outbreak have happened if the country was developed or if there hadn't been an earthquake?

  • No foreign aid required = no introduction of new diseases.
  • Because of the earthquake, there was high levels of internal migration which led to the spread of the disease.
  • The earthquake led to people living in overcrowded, poor quality accommodation increasing the likelihood of transmitting the disease.
  • Insufficient access to clean water and adequate latrines.
  • People fled from the Artibonite Valley away from the Cholera spreading the infection further.
• Long term recovery

  • Now, 1 in 5 jobs have been lost due to the earthquake, and many people have been returning to the small rural settlements they came from.
• Why was the earthquake considered a disaster?

  Because it occurred at a shallow depth, allowing more energy to reach the surface.
• What area did the earthquake strike?

  The most densely populated area of Haiti.
• What is Haiti known for in the context of the Western Hemisphere?

  It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
• Why were buildings in Port-Au-Prince vulnerable during the earthquake?

  Because they were in poor condition and not designed to be earthquake resistant.
• What is the population of Port-Au-Prince?

  3 million people.
• What living conditions did the majority of people in Port-Au-Prince face?

  They lived in slum conditions after rapid urbanization.
• What infrastructure was damaged and unable to be used after the earthquake?

  The airport and port.
• Why did aid delivery take days after the earthquake?

  Due to a lack of trucks and people to distribute it.
• How long did it take for rescue teams to arrive in Haiti?

  48 hours.
• What did local people do while waiting for rescue teams?

  They used their bare hands to dig people out of the rubble.
• What was a significant consequence of the severe shortage of doctors after the earthquake?

  Many people died from injuries such as broken limbs.
• How much aid was given by the USA to Haiti?

  $100 million
• What was the amount of aid provided by the EU to Haiti?

  $330 million
• What actions did many countries take in response to aid appeals for Haiti?

  • Pledged funds
  • Dispatched rescue and medical teams
  • Sent engineers and personnel
• How many people were placed in aid camps after the earthquake in Haiti?

  810,000 people
• How many tents were provided for the aid camps in Haiti?

  115,000 tents
• How many tarpaulin shelters were provided in Haiti?

  Over 1 million tarpaulin shelters
• What was provided to limit disease in Haiti after the earthquake?

  Healthcare supplies
• Why did people have to rescue each other after the earthquake in Haiti?

  Due to lack of planning and immediate aid
• How much money was collected by 23 major charities for Haiti?

  $1.1 billion
• What percentage of the money collected for Haiti was actually released?

  2%
• What were the consequences of damaged communication networks in Haiti after the earthquake?

  • Delayed all forms of aid
  • Caused congestion
  • Failed to prioritize early relief work
• How many people were provided with food rations in the weeks following the earthquake in Haiti?

  3 million people
• What percentage of rubble on the roads had been cleared?

  2%
• Why was the rubble on the roads significant after the disaster?

  It restricted aid access
• What percentage of the population was without jobs?

  Nearly 70%
• What type of projects were implemented to support unemployed individuals?

  Cash/food-for-work projects
• What was created to support education temporarily?

  Temporary schools
• How many people eventually received water and sanitation supplies?

  1. 7 million people