Haiti Earthquake 2010

BY SHIV MIRPURI + WILL MATTHEWS

 INTRODUCTION
Fast Facts
• Island nation in the Caribbean discovered by Christopher
Columbus in 1492.
• Haiti won its independence from France on Jan. 1st , 1804
• Haiti makes up one third of the island of Hispaniola. The
eastern two thirds of the island is the Dominican
Republic.
• Population of nearly 10 million.
• It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
• Diseases such as AIDS, typhoid, malaria and hepatitis are
prevalent.
• 80% of the population is living under the poverty line.
 INTRODUCTION
• Most Haitians live on less than $2 a day.
• The Haiti telecommunications infrastructure is among the least
developed In Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Haiti’s capital is Port-au-Prince, a coastal city with about 2
million habitants living in slum conditions - mostly tightly-
packed, poorly built, concrete buildings.
• Approximately half of Haiti’s population cannot read or write.
 CAUSES
Haiti is situated to the north of the Caribbean Plate, on a
transform plate boundary with the North American Plate.
The North American Plate is moving west. This movement is
not smooth and there is friction between the North
American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. Pressure builds
between the two plates until it is released as an
earthquake.

On 12th Jun. 2010, a magnitude 7 earthquake hit Haiti at

16:53, local time. The earthquake’s epicenter was 16km
south-west of Port-au-Prince, the capital. There had been
no major earthquakes in Haiti for 200 years.
 SOCIAL IMPACTS
• 316,000 people died and around 300,000 people were
injured.
• 1.5 million people were left homeless .
• 250,000 homes and 30,000 other buildings, including the
President’s Palace were destroyed or badly damaged.
• Hospitals and schools as well as the airport tower were
badly damaged.
• Large number of bodies meant that diseases became a
serious problem.
• The main prison was destroyed and 4000 inmates escaped.
• Looting became a major problem.
 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
• There were 19 millions cubic meters of rubble and debris in
Port-Au-Prince.
• Contamination of natural water sources caused life
threatening poisons and cholera.
• Haiti’s small agricultural industry was affected due to the
displacement of topsoil, which destroyed the population’s
access to healthy produce.
• Haiti lost 98% of its forest covers.
• Sea levels in local areas changed,
with some parts of the land sinking
below the sea.
 ECONOMIC IMPACTS
• The earthquake resulted in buildings being destroyed,
causing $2.3 billion in damages.
• Transport and communication links were badly damaged.
• The clothing industry, which accounts for two-thirds of
Haiti’s export, was damaged.
• Around 1 in 5 people ended up losing their jobs.
• Hospitals and schools as well as the airport tower were
badly damaged.
• Farms were destroyed so there was a
national food shortage.
• 600,000 people fled to the countryside
putting strain on rural areas.
 SHORT-TERM RESPONSES
• Neighboring Dominican Republic was the first country to
provide emergency water, medical supplies and heavy
machinery.
• The major quake sent 33 after shocks ranging in multitude from
4.2 to 5.9 on the Richter Scale.
• The Red Cross dispatched a relief team from Geneva and the
UN’s World Food Program flew in with emergency food aid.
• Temporary field hospitals were set up.
• $100 million in aid given by USA and $330 million by EU.
• People around the world pledged money over their mobile
phones.
• UN troops and police were sent to help distribute and keep
order.
• Rescue teams arrived from many countries e.g. Iceland.
 LONG-TERM RESPONSES
• In Nov. 2010, Hurricane Tomas caused the refugee camps to
flood, hampering the recovery efforts.
• $382 million were received in pledges to the International Haiti
Reconstruction Fund but recovery progress was slow.
• Aid response challenges to the outbreak of cholera in Oct. 2010.
By July 2011, 5,899 people had died and 216,000 infected.
• Drugs were supplied to cholera treatment facilities.
• Tools and seeds were given to farming households.
• Free medical care provided and information given about
preparing for future disasters.
• Construction of affordable housing.
• ‘Cash for Work’ programs to clear rubble.
 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Haiti’s people and economy were devastated by
this earthquake. It put an already struggling economy into an
even worse situation. Most people were left homeless and
unemployed and cholera ended up being the biggest issue to
tackle, together with the reconstruction process. At this point,
Haiti’s economy still lies in the hands of foreign nations giving
aid, for Haiti is in no position to start generating revenue of its
own.
 Quiz
1. Where is Haiti?
On the boundary of the Caribbean and North American
Plate.
2. What caused the earthquake?
The rubbing of the two plates.
3. What is the name of the island it is on?
Hispaniola.
4. What was it on the Richter Scale?
It was 7.0 on the Richter Scale.
5. How many people died?
220,000 died.
 Quiz
6. What percent of the forest was lost?
98%
7. How much did it cost to rebuild all the damage?
It cost $2.3 billion
8. Which country helped first?
The Dominican Republic.
9. After one year how many camps were there?
There was 1,300 camps.
10. Why was it so devastating?
Since it was a LEDC.