LIC Haiti

• Earthquake


  One of the most powerful natural events that can occur, with destructive potential that dwarfs any weapon mankind has created
• Haiti is a country found in the Caribbean, with the Dominican Republic to the east and surrounded by water to the south, west, and north
• Haiti's capital city is Port-au-Prince, home to approximately 1 million people
• During French occupation in the 1700s, Haiti was considered France's most productive and richest colony
• 300 years later, Haiti is considered one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world and the most underdeveloped in the northern hemisphere
• Factors contributing to Haiti's underdevelopment


  • Government instability
  • Limited educational opportunities
  • Poor quality of life
  • High unemployment
  • High vulnerability to natural disasters
• A magnitude 7 earthquake struck approximately 25 kilometers west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti


  January 12, 2010
• The earthquake resulted in widespread destruction and catastrophe
• Types of impacts from the earthquake

  • Primary impacts (direct result of the earthquake)
  • Secondary impacts (result of primary impacts)
  • Economic impacts
  • Environmental impacts
  • Social impacts
• The earthquake affected 3 million people, killing 300,000 and leaving 1.5 million homeless
• 250,000 residences were destroyed or damaged, and 30,000 commercial buildings were either destroyed or damaged
• Much of Haiti's road infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, causing delays in rescue efforts
• Haiti was hit by a cholera outbreak after the earthquake, killing up to 50 Haitians per day
• Types of responses to the earthquake

  • Immediate responses (right after the event)
  • Long-term responses (months/years after)
• Humanitarian aid was delivered by the international community in the days following the earthquake
• 6 months after the earthquake, 98% of the rubble was yet to be cleared and thousands of bodies were still unrecovered
• Relief camps were set up, but lacked basic necessities like sewage disposal, electricity, and running water
• By 2012, only 43% of the $4.5 billion raised for Haiti had been delivered, and half a million Haitians were still homeless
• In 2017, 2.5 million Haitians still required humanitarian aid, and 55,000 people were still living in makeshift shelters