haiti

• 12 January 2010


  lasted around 30 seconds
• Epicentre 25k, south-west from Port-au-Price (capital)


  13km below the surface
• 7 magnitude caused by contraction and deformation along a fault near the conservative plate boundary between the North American Plate and Caribbean Plate
• 316,000 deaths and 300,000, estimated by the government.
• 3 million people were affected making 1.5million people homeless when 180000+ homes were destroyed
• All 8 hospitals collapsed/badly damaged


  Approximately 5000 schools were badly damaged or destroyed and three universities collapsed
• 4000 inmates escaped due to a prison

  collapsing
• The port al the capital, Port-au-Price ended up being severely damaged and the airport control tower collapsed. This affects emergency efforts and the supply of aids
• people secondary impacts 


  Cholera spread through squatter camps, which also gave little protection during hurricane season

  • 2 million people were left without food or water
  • Crime increased, looting became a problem and sexual violence escaped
• property secondary impacts


  The earthquake damaged vital infrastructure like roads, bridges, and ports, delaying aid and relief efforts. Many lost their homes, leading to makeshift camps that strained already weakened infrastructure. The disaster left the country more vulnerable to future hurricanes and earthquakes.
• Due to the port being damaged, aid was slow to arrive. The USA sent rescue teams and 10000 troops. Bottled water and purification tablets were provided. 235000 people were moved away from Port-au-Prince to less-damaged cities
• 7 teams were sent out as part of a multinational rescue operation that resulted in the saving of almost 130 lives.
• In the first three months following the earthquake, approximately 4 million people received emergency food relief - the largest-scale emergency food distribution in history.
• After the earthquake, up to 1.3 million people were given access to clean drinking water every day
• In the 5 months following the earthquake, 1.5 million individuals received the most basic of shelter supplies from international partners (before the onset of the rainy season).
• long term response

  Haiti, heavily reliant on foreign aid, faced a slow response to the earthquake. Despite efforts, over a million people remained in temporary shelters a year later. Rebuilding the port incurred significant expenses. 75% damaged buildings were repaired using earthquake-resistant techniques like bamboo and tarpaulin roofs. A cholera epidemic, starting 10 months after the earthquake, claimed 8000 lives and infected 6% of Haiti's population by 2013.
• prediction


  Haiti couldn't predict the 2010 earthquake, as precise forecasting remains a complex scientific challenge

  The lack of earthquake prediction capabilities made it impossible for Haiti or any other region to forecast this earthquake accurately

  Consequently, Haiti was more vulnerable to greater and more destructive impacts. 
• preparation


  Haiti lacked critical infrastructure, including earthquake-resistant construction. Many poorly constructed buildings made it vulnerable to earthquake damage. As one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti faced considerable economic obstacles, making it harder to invest in disaster preparedness infrastructure, early warning systems, and emergency response capabilities. Despite its seismic risk due to tectonic plate boundaries, Haiti's resources for seismic preparedness were limited.