Haiti 2010 earthquake - LIC

On 12 January 2010, a 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti. The earthquake occurred on a destructive
plate margin between the Caribbean and North American plates. The focus was only 12.87
km deep and the epicentre was just 25.75 km from the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Effects
Primary

 220,000 people were killed.

 300,000 people were injured.
 The main port was badly damaged.
 Eight hospitals collapsed.
 100,000 houses were destroyed and 200,000 were damaged.
 1.3 million people became homeless.
Secondary

2 million people were left without food and water.

 Frequent power cuts occurred.
 Crime increased - looting became a problem and sexual violence escalated.
 People moved into temporary shelters.
 By November 2010 there were outbreaks of cholera.

Responses
Short-term

 Crucial aid was slow to arrive due to the damaged port.

 USA sent rescue teams and 10,000 troops.
 Bottled water and purification tablets were provided.
 235,000 people were moved to less-damaged cities away from Port-au-Prince.
 The UK government donated £20 million.
Long-term

 Haiti was dependent on overseas aid.

 New homes were built to a higher standard although the response was slow. One year
after the earthquake, over one million people were still living in temporary shelters.
 The port needed rebuilding which required a large amount of investment.
 the total value of damage and losses was estimated at more than 120% of the
country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009.