Having made a list of the places I’ve left behind, I nearly forgot to add Haiti. Yet how could I forget Haiti, in 2011, a year after the earthquake that left 300,000 dead?
What challenges does Haiti face today?
According to World Vision:
For decades, Haiti has experienced a succession of crises, alongside natural disasters like earthquakes. The COVID-19 pandemic further deepened economic struggles and strained an already fragile healthcare system. Presently, the situation in Haiti is dire, with 5.2 million people requiring humanitarian assistance due to escalating sociopolitical instability and rampant gang violence. The prevalence of gang-related crimes has soared to alarming heights, marked by a surge in violent incidents, armed robberies, and kidnappings. As the escalation of violence hampers aid efforts, hunger in Haiti is concurrently reaching record levels. Nearly half of the country’s population is experiencing acute hunger, according to the United Nations.
Why was the 2010 Haiti earthquake so destructive?
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck a shallow depth (6.2 miles below the surface), intensifying its ground-level impact. Because the earthquake took place just 15 miles away from Port-au-Prince, the capital city where more than 2 million lived, the seismic force was catastrophic. The city’s inadequate building standards and subpar construction led to the collapse of many multi-story concrete buildings, a consequence of the lack of enforced building codes. As a result, Haiti faced the greatest humanitarian need in its history.