The 2010 Haiti earthquake (; ) was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 M earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne (Ouest) and approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. Death toll estimates range from 100,000 to about 160,000 to Haitian government figures from 220,000 to 316,000, although these latter figures are a matter of some dispute. The government of Haiti estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.
Introduction
2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake | Introduction
By 24 January 2010, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. It caused major damage in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other cities in the region. US President Barack Obama announced that former presidents Bill Clinton, who also acts as the UN special envoy to Haiti, and George W. Bush would coordinate efforts to raise funds for Haiti's recovery. In the nights, many people slept in the streets, on pavements, in their cars, or in makeshift shanty towns
what happened after the earthquake in haiti 2010
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The country also suffered from shortages of fuel and potable water even before the disaster. President Préval and government ministers used police headquarters near the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport as their new base of operations, although their effectiveness was extremely limited; several parliamentarians were still trapped in the Presidential Palace, and offices and records had been destroyed. Some high-ranking government workers lost family members, or had to tend to wounded relatives. Although the president and his remaining cabinet met with UN planners each day, there remained confusion as to who was in charge and no single group had organized relief efforts as of 16 January.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Conditions in the aftermath
A man is rescued from the rubble in central Port-au-Prince two weeks after the earthquake, although, he claimed to have been trapped in a later aftershock. Brazilian troops distributed food at the tent city next to the Palais National had to use tear gas and pepper spray because of unruly crowds. France has offered to rebuild the Presidential Palace, as it was.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 26 January 2010
The 2010 Haiti earthquake (; ) was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 M earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne (Ouest) and approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. Death toll estimates range from 100,000 to about 160,000 to Haitian government figures from 220,000 to 316,000, although these latter figures are a matter of some dispute. The government of Haiti estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Introduction
There are concerns that the main earthquake could be the beginning of a new long-term sequence: "the whole region is fearful"; historical accounts, although not precise, suggest that there has been a sequence of quakes progressing westwards along the fault, starting with an earthquake in the Dominican Republic in 1751.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Aftershocks
The timeline of rescue efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake of 12 January 2010 involves the sequence of events in the days following a highly destructive 7.0 Mw earthquake with an epicenter west of the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince. With at least 70% of the city's buildings destroyed, the earthquake also caused damage and loss of life in other parts of the country. The Haitian government experienced a near-collapse and affected people were left mostly to their own resources until foreign aid arrived in the following days. Initial death toll estimates ranged between 50,000 and 200,000.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Introduction
16:53 local time (21:53 UTC): the earthquake happened. People dug through rubble, rescuing survivors and recovering bodies. The bodies were laid out in the streets, some in piles. During the night, many people digging through the rubble used flashlights or torches. The Argentine Air Force Mobile Field Hospital, already deployed at Port-au-Prince, was the only medical facility still open. Argentine helicopters from the United Nations force were helping evacuate the gravely injured people to Santo Domingo.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Tuesday 12 January 2010
A rescue team sent by the Israel Defense Forces' Home Front Command established a field hospital which included specialised facilities to perform surgery, treat children, the elderly, and women in labour near the United Nations building in Port-au-Prince. It was set up in eight hours and began operations on the evening of 16 January. French Navy vessel "Francis Garnier" left Martinique on 15 January 2010 carrying 60 Army personnel, land vehicles, and excavators. She stopped over at Guadeloupe to load further resources, and departed for Haiti on 16 January 2010. French cooperation minister Alain Joyandet had to liaise with the US embassador in Paris after a French airplane carrying a field hospital was prevented from landing at Port-au-Prince airport.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 16 January 2010
On 12 January 2010, Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake, magnitude 7.0 with a death toll estimated by the Haitian government at over 300,000, and by non-Haitian sources from 50,000 to 220,000. Aftershocks followed, including one of magnitude 5.9. The capital city, Port-au-Prince, was effectively leveled. A million Haitians were left homeless, and hundreds of thousands starved. The earthquake caused massive devastation, with most buildings crumbled, including Haiti's presidential palace. The enormous death toll made it necessary to bury the dead in mass graves. Most bodies were unidentified and few pictures were taken, making it impossible for families to identify their loved ones.
History of Haiti | Earthquake 2010
On 12 January 2010, at 4:53pm local time, Haiti was struck by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake. This was the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years. The earthquake was reported to have left between 220,000 and 300,000 people dead and up to 1.6 million homeless. General elections had been planned for January 2010 but were postponed due to the earthquake. Elections were held on 28 November 2010 for the senate, the parliament and the first round of the presidential elections. The run-off between Michel Martelly and Mirlande Manigat took place on 20 March 2011, and preliminary results, released on 4 April, named Michel Martelly the winner.
Haiti | Post-Aristide era (2004–present)
The nation's history of national debt, prejudicial trade policies by other countries, and foreign intervention into national affairs, contributed to the existing poverty and poor housing conditions that increased the death toll from the disaster. The earthquake caused major damage in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other cities in the region. Notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Among those killed were Archbishop of Port-au-Prince Joseph Serge Miot, and opposition leader Micha Gaillard. The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, collapsed, killing many, including the Mission's Chief, Hédi Annabi.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Introduction
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 M earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake; the Haitian government reported that an estimated 316,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless. The government of Haiti also estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.
Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) | Background
The government handed over control of the airport to the United States to hasten and ease flight operations, which had been hampered by the damage to the air traffic control tower. Almost immediately Port-au-Prince's morgue facilities were overwhelmed. By 14 January, a thousand bodies had been placed on the streets and pavements. Government crews manned trucks to collect thousands more, burying them in mass graves. In the heat and humidity, corpses buried in rubble began to decompose and smell. Mati Goldstein, head of the Israeli ZAKA International Rescue Unit delegation to Haiti, described the situation as "Shabbat from hell. Everywhere, the acrid smell of bodies hangs in the air.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Conditions in the aftermath
They also worked to push the international community to recognize the wave of evictions from camps that started as early as three months after the earthquake and to put protections in place, but little was done in response.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Status of the recovery
Haitian Rescuers searched collapsed buildings for victims. The wounded were taken to hospital in ambulances, police pickup trucks, wheelbarrows, and improvised stretchers. Many hospitals collapsed: on 13 January 2010, the Argentine military field hospital remained open in Port-au-Prince, and it was struggling to attend to the huge numbers of injured. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reported that at least two hospitals were still in good shape, and their doctors would begin treating about 500 people who needed emergency surgery. Bodies of the victims were piled on the streets. Heavy equipment was needed to dig through the ruins; many people were still trapped in collapsed buildings.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 13 January 2010
A 22-day-old baby girl was found in the ruins of the Jacmel hospital's maternity ward, by Colombian rescuers. Her parents were unable to get news about her since the earthquake struck. The girl was found many days beyond the usual survival period of three days without water.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 19 January 2010
A triage center was set up in a parking lot, but the wounded were forced to lie in medical tents to await treatment, due to the many patients, and water was scarce. In Pétion-Ville, people used sledgehammers and their hands to dig through a collapsed commercial center. The first international team to arrive in Port-au-Prince was ICE-SAR from Iceland, landing within 24 hours of the earthquake. Some rescue teams, such as the ones from Cuba, arrived in Haiti and started their mission. The Peruvian government sent rescue teams, dogs and 50 tons of food transported by two Peruvian Air Force airplanes.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 13 January 2010
In the nights following the earthquake, many people in Haiti slept in the streets, on pavements, in their cars, or in makeshift shanty towns either because their houses had been destroyed, or they feared standing structures would not withstand aftershocks. Construction standards are low in Haiti; the country has no building codes. Engineers have stated that it is unlikely many buildings would have stood through any kind of disaster. Structures are often raised wherever they can fit; some buildings were built on slopes with insufficient foundations or steel supports. A representative of Catholic Relief Services has estimated that about two million Haitians lived as squatters on land they did not own.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Conditions in the aftermath
It's just like the stories we are told of the Holocaust – thousands of bodies everywhere. You have to understand that the situation is true madness, and the more time passes, there are more and more bodies, in numbers that cannot be grasped. It is beyond comprehension."
2010 Haiti earthquake | Conditions in the aftermath
Several violent incidents occurred while distributing food in Port-au-Prince. At the Ministry of Culture, Haitian police distributed oil, soap, pasta and rice. Several men scaled walls and jumped onto the trucks with aid, and started throwing stuff into the crowd. In Cité Soleil, stones were thrown at aid workers distributing rice, and their Argentine UN Peacekeeper escort.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 28 January 2010
Rescue efforts began in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, with able-bodied survivors extricating the living and the dead from the rubble of the many buildings that had collapsed. Treatment of the injured was hampered by the lack of hospital and morgue facilities: the Argentine military field hospital, which had been serving MINUSTAH, was the only one available until 13 January. Rescue work intensified only slightly with the arrival of doctors, police officers, military personnel and firefighters from various countries two days after the earthquake. From 12 January, the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has been working in Haiti since 1994, focused on bringing emergency assistance to victims of the catastrophe.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Rescue and relief efforts
A rescue team sent by the Israel Defense Forces' Home Front Command established a field hospital near the United Nations building in Port-au-Prince with specialised facilities to treat children, the elderly, and women in labor. It was set up in eight hours and began operations on the evening of 16 January. A Korean International Disaster Relief Team with 40 rescuers, medical doctors, nurses and 2 k-9s was deployed to epicenters to assist mitigation efforts of Haitian Government.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Early response
After Haiti's 2010 earthquake, President Preval gave the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) the mandate to work with the Education Ministry and the National Commission, preparing a major reform of the education system in a five-year plan.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 15 May 2010
Ships were also unable to render aid because the port facilities had been too damaged. The Port-au-Prince morgue became overwhelmed with thousands of dead bodies that were laid outside on the streets and sidewalks. Aid workers began to concentrate on identification and disposal of corpses. Concerns were also raised by a representative from Oxfam that aid workers may be overwhelmed with rampant crime from gangs who had taken over the country, which prompted the UN to intervene to restore some order.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 14 January 2010
The delivery of aid to those suffering in Haiti remains problematic. Haitian burial workers continued to fill mass graves. Earth-moving equipment was used to dig the graves, and up to 10,000 bodies were buried in a single day. Downhillers for Haiti was set up, and the bibs of alpine skiers for the Saturday event at Kitzbühel were to be auctioned off on the internet. They would be signed by the skiers.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 21 January 2010
In January 2011, one year after the quake, Oxfam published a report on the status of the recovery. According to the report, relief and recovery were at a standstill due to government inaction and indecision on the part of the donor countries. The report stated: "One year on, only five percent of the rubble has been cleared and only 15 percent of the required basic and temporary houses have been built. House building on a large scale cannot be started before the enormous amount of rubble is cleared. The government and donors must prioritize this most basic step toward helping people return home".
2010 Haiti earthquake | 2011
A 16-year-old girl was pulled alive and dehydrated from the rubble 15 days after the earthquake. It was discovered that the south pier of the Port international de Port-au-Prince was more damaged that initially appeared, and cannot be used safely. It had previously been used by one ship at a time, unloading one container at a time, gingerly. The port continues to be used by military landing craft of the type used in amphibious warfare to force a beachhead from a seaborne invasion. In Pétion-Ville, Nepalese UN Peacekeepers had to wield batons to try to control unruly crowds. The World Food Program convoy delivering food was one of the few to make it to the point of distribution and distribute all of the aid.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 27 January 2010
According to Jean-Robert Saget, Haitian ambassador to Germany, Gaillard was killed in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Gaillard, who was attending a meeting at the Ministry of Justice when the quake struck, survived the initial disaster but died of his injuries a day and a half later, at roughly 4:15am on January 14.
Micha Gaillard | 2010 earthquake
Flights had been suspended in the middle of the week, due to concerns of lack of hospital capacity in Florida, lack of funds from Florida's state government. Medivac flights were to resume Monday afternoon. A Canadian military medical team sortied out from Léogâne, and performed aid operations in the village of Tom Gato.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 31 January 2010
On 12 January 2010, Haiti experienced a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused heavy damage and casualties in Jacmel. The first temblor rocked the city at 4:40 pm, but the later temblor at 5:37 pm stopped the cathedral's clock. A Jacmel radio station estimated that at least 5000 were dead from the quake itself, although mayor Zennie Edwin later reported that the figure was closer to 300–500 deaths and 4,000 injured. About 70 per cent of the homes were damaged, with most of the heavier damage being in the poorer neighbourhoods. The town hall was so severely damaged that it had to be demolished.
Jacmel | 2010 Haiti earthquake
The Quebec Federation of School Boards (Fédération des commissions scolaires du Québec – FCSQ) has announced its intention to participate in the rebuilding of the school system. A survivor was found underneath the rubble of the Croix Bossal market in Port-au-Prince, where he was a rice seller. It appears that he was trapped for the entire four weeks since the earthquake. He says that at some point, someone passed him some water during his entrapment. He was extremely emaciated and dehydrated. The first 30 of 240 Korean peacekeepers have been scheduled to leave on 10 February 2010 for Léogâne, with a freighter.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 8 February 2010
Six months after the quake as much as 98% of the rubble remained uncleared. An estimated 26 million cubic yards (20 million cubic meters) remained, making most of the capital impassable, and thousands of bodies remained in the rubble. The number of people in relief camps of tents and tarps since the quake was 1.6 million, and almost no transitional housing had been built. Most of the camps had no electricity, running water, or sewage disposal, and the tents were beginning to fall apart. Crime in the camps was widespread, especially against women and girls. Between 23 major charities, US$1.1 billion had been collected for Haiti for relief efforts, but only two percent of the money had been released.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Status of the recovery
Canadian military evacuation flights have ended, Canadians desiring to leave are now required to depart via commercial flights via Port-au-Prince International Airport, which have resumed. In Limbé, a mob of citizens erected barricades on the exit route of a World Food Program convoy, and attacked the convoy and its Peacekeepers with rocks, to try to gain the goods carried within. The situation was resolved with no injuries and no arrests, after the National Police had been dispatched. The Peacekeepers had agreed to distribute milk.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 22 February 2010
A UN representative reported that the aftershock collapsed seven buildings in the town. According to staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which had reached Petit-Goâve for the first time the day before the aftershock, the town was estimated to have lost 15% of its buildings, and was suffering the same shortages of supplies and medical care as the capital. Workers from the charity Save the Children reported hearing "already weakened structures collapsing" in Port-au-Prince, but most sources reported no further significant damage to infrastructure in the city. Further casualties are thought to have been minimal since people had been sleeping in the open.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Aftershocks
Over a million people made homeless in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti moved into refugee camps that offered little food, work, or safety. The UN reported that as of October 2012 about 370,000 people were still in the camps and facing poor and insecure living conditions. The earthquake directly preceded a rapid increase in the numbers of sexual violence in Haiti. Factors contributing to vulnerability after the earthquake include homelessness and losing the protection afforded by a house; losing family members who might have provided protection; and increases in levels of violence due to the stress of living in substandard conditions; and lack of legal recourse to prosecute rapists.
Sexual violence in Haiti | 2010 earthquake and aftermath
This is a list of populated places and structures affected by the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a magnitude 7.0 M earthquake that occurred on 12 January 2010, with an epicentre approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and affected an estimated three million people. The Haitian government estimated that 230,000 people died, 300,000 were injured and 1,000,000 made homeless by the quake. The earthquake caused extensive damage to infrastructure in southwestern Haiti—in February, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged. The deputy mayor of Léogâne, at the epicentre of the earthquake, reported that 90 percent of buildings in the city were destroyed and Léogâne had "to be totally rebuilt." As much as 90 percent of Grand-Goâve was devastated, including all public buildings.
List of populated places affected by the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Introduction
The earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010 destroyed a large part of the city center and suspended all activities for several months. Haiti's Athletics Center had to manage over 600 families who had taken refuge on its grounds after the earthquake. But the Shackles of Memory and the CEFREPADE still provide their support for this project and work to its completion, also in memory of Jean-Christophe Fernandez, delegate of the CEFREPADE in Sun City and who died during the earthquake at age 26. The sorting and composting work started again in April 2010 and the center will be entirely rebuilt by the end of 2010.
Les Anneaux de la Mémoire | Development Assistance Program
A magnitude 7.0 quake with countless aftershocks struck the island nation of Haïti on January 12, 2010. Nearly 300,000 people perished in the highly populated Caribbean nation, and an assessment team was immediately deployed to the impoverished nation. The earthquake, centered 15 km from the capitol of Port-au-Prince caused tremendous devastation to vast areas of the country. CMAT's initial assessment team conducted intense reconnaissance in the capitol and in the environs, meeting with United Nations officials, and other partner organizations. In collaboration with Canadian Armed Forces, CMAT based its field hospital operation in the city of Léogâne, approximately 35 southwest from Port-au-Prince.
Canadian Medical Assistance Team | 2010 Haiti earthquake, Haiti
Following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the museum building was only slightly damaged due in part to its semi-buried construction, making it less prone to destruction.
Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien | 2010 earthquake
Most schools, including those that were minimally or not structurally affected at all, were closed for many months following the earthquake. More than a year since the earthquake occurred, many schools still remain closed and, in many cases, tents and other semi-permanent structures have become temporary replacements for damaged or closed schools. By early 2011, more than one million people, approximately 380,000 of whom are children, remained in crowded internally displaced people camps. The Haitian Ministry of National Education estimates that the earthquake affected 4,992 (23%) of the nation's schools. Higher education institutions were hit especially hard, with 87% gravely damaged or completely demolished.
Education in Haiti | Impact of 2010 earthquake
Several earlier convoys were unable to complete delivery, or reach distribution points before delivery. Some had been targeted by bandits. With banditry striking right after distribution, stealing from the recipients of food aid, all UN food distribution sorties are escorted by UN Peacekeepers now, utilizing over 50% of available Peacekeepers.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 27 January 2010
The buildings of the finance ministry, the ministry of education, the ministry of public works, the ministry of communication and culture, the Palais de Justice (Supreme Court building), the Superior Normal School, the National School of Administration, the Institut Aimé Césaire, the Palais Législatif (National Assembly building) and Port-au-Prince Cathedral were damaged to varying degrees. The National Palace (Presidential mansion) was severely damaged, though President René Préval and his wife Elisabeth Delatour Préval, who were about to enter their house when it "just fell", escaped injury. The Prison Civile de Port-au-Prince was also destroyed, allowing 4,000 inmates to escape into the streets.
Damage to infrastructure in the 2010 Haiti earthquake | General infrastructure
A reported 9,000 corpses were cleared off the street by Haitian government crews, and buried in mass graves, with thousands more awaiting burial in the streets and outside the morgue. Search and rescue teams from eight nations were employed to attempt to find survivors still trapped in buildings. Transportation into the affected areas remained problematic, as a bottleneck blocked aid arriving from the Port-au-Prince airport. Some organizations landed in Santo Domingo and drove into Haiti on rugged dirt roads. Pilots were told that any flights coming into Port-au-Prince should expect to circle the airport for at least an hour, and that no jet fuel was available.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 15 January 2010
Canadian military firefighters are inspecting buildings in Jacmel to ascertain which are structurally sound and usable.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 24 January 2010
The mission comprises 120 military engineers, 22 medics and a 1,200 tonne-freighter filled with supplies and equipment.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 8 February 2010
The Haitian government declares an end to rescue efforts. In a TV interview made by C5N channel, the Commander of the Argentine force in MINUSTAH declared that the different countries of the world had already transported to Haiti 14 million field rations.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 23 January 2010
Due to the January 2010 earthquake, Haitian presidential election was indefinitely postponed; although November 28 was then decided as the date to hold the presidential and legislative elections. Following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake, there were concerns of instability in the country, and the election came amid international pressure over instability in the country. The election was termed in the media as a "seismic" one. This would be the third democratic election in Haitian history.
2010–11 Haitian general election | Background
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has begun using scheduled ports of call in northern Haiti to transfer emergency supplies using extra space on its liners. Long-awaited air drops have begun by the US air force in the countryside. Three sites were secured. If air drops are successful, the method will be used more widely. It was originally feared that air drops with no security would cause riots and other problems. By 18 January 2010, 5,800 US troops were in Haiti or offshore on naval vessels, and 7,500 Marines were sent to join their effort.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 18 January 2010
Cuba lifted airspace restrictions to allow US airplanes to save time transporting critically wounded Haitians to the US. Médecins Sans Frontières reported that the need for medical services at their two hospitals was "overwhelming". Although it had been badly damaged, the Hotel Villa Creole in Port-au-Prince was transformed into a hospital and media center; journalists used the drained swimming pool as an operating base, and Hope for Haiti and the International Medical Corps started a makeshift clinic for the wounded. The Dominican Institute of Communications set up a cell tower using a satellite link, to replace towers damaged by the quake.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 15 January 2010
As of 19 January only 12 had been rearrested. Some of the escaped convicts were reported to have stolen official uniforms, vehicles, and weapons, after starting fires and killing four guards during the breakout. The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) at Christopher Hotel and offices of the World Bank were destroyed. The building housing the offices of Citibank in Port-au-Prince collapsed, killing five employees. Up to 200 guests at the collapsed Hôtel Montana in Port-au-Prince are presumed dead. Despite the official search being called off, as of 24 January teams were continuing to look for survivors at the Montana.
Damage to infrastructure in the 2010 Haiti earthquake | General infrastructure
Appeals for humanitarian aid were issued by many aid organizations, the United Nations and president René Préval. Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States, and his nephew, singer Wyclef Jean, who was called upon by Préval to become a "roving ambassador" for Haiti, also pleaded for aid and donations. Images and testimonials circulating after the earthquake across the internet and through social media helped to intensify the reaction of global engagement. Many countries responded to the appeals and launched fund-raising efforts, as well as sending search and rescue teams. The neighbouring Dominican Republic was the first country to give aid to Haiti, sending water, food and heavy-lifting machinery.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Early response
Amnesty International reported that armed men were preying with impunity on girls and women in displacement camps, worsening the trauma of victims who have lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones. On the first anniversary of the earthquake, Haitian-born Michaëlle Jean, who served as the Governor General of Canada at the time of the disaster, and who became United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Special Envoy for Haiti on 8 November 2010, voiced her anger at the slow rate of aid delivery. She blamed the international community for abandoning its commitments. In a public letter co-authored with UNESCO head Irina Bokova, Jean said, "As time passes, what began as a natural disaster is becoming a disgraceful reflection on the international community." The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, led by former US President Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, had been set up to facilitate the flow of funds toward reconstruction projects in April 2010, but as of January 2011, no major reconstruction had started.
2010 Haiti earthquake | 2011
The Coast Guard Cutter "Mohawk" also arrived in the coastal waters of Haiti on Wednesday afternoon. The International Committee of the Red Cross set up a special website to facilitate family contacts, which allowed people in Haiti and abroad to register the names of relatives whom they wanted to contact. It incorporated responses to those queries as they became available. Catholic Relief Services, which has worked in Haiti for 50 years, prepared food and other aid to help those affected, committing US $5 million to help survivors.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 13 January 2010
According to a CBS report, US$3.1 billion had been pledged for humanitarian aid and was used to pay for field hospitals, plastic tarps, bandages, and food, plus salaries, transportation and upkeep of relief workers. By May 2010, enough aid had been raised internationally to give each displaced family a cheque for US$37,000. In July 2010, CNN returned to Port-au-Prince and reported, "It looks like the quake just happened yesterday", and Imogen Wall, spokeswoman for the United Nations office of humanitarian affairs in Haiti, said that "six months from that time it may still look the same." Land ownership posed a particular problem for rebuilding because so many pre-quake homes were not officially registered.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Status of the recovery
On January 12, 2010, at 21:53 UTC (4:53 PM local time) Haiti was struck by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake, the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years. The epicenter of the quake was just outside the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, in Léogâne. As the biggest slum of Port-au-Prince, Cité Soleil fared relatively well, as most of its cinder block and corrugated steel shacks survived. Médecins Sans Frontières reopened its Choscal Hospital (which operated between 2005 and 2007 during the gang war) in the heart of the slum within 24 hours. However, the area remained in desperate need of help, according to World Emergency Relief.
Cité Soleil | 2010 Haiti earthquake
Haitian president René Préval has revealed an estimate of needing three years to clear the rubble of the quake.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 23 February 2010
RFA "Largs Bay" arrives at Port-au-Prince, carrying relief supplies. The Korean peacekeepers in Léogâne have started constructing a hospital.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 18 February 2010
Minister of Education Joel Jean-Pierre stated that the education system had "totally collapsed". About half the nation's schools and the three main universities in Port-au-Prince were affected. More than 1,300 schools and 50 health care facilities were destroyed. The earthquake also destroyed a nursing school in the capital and severely damaged the country's primary midwifery school. The Haitian art world suffered great losses; artworks were destroyed, and museums and art galleries were extensively damaged, among them Port-au-Prince's main art museum, Centre d'Art, College Saint Pierre and Holy Trinity Cathedral.
2010 Haiti earthquake | General infrastructure
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded eight aftershocks in the two hours after the main earthquake, with magnitudes between 4.3 and 5.9. Within the first nine hours, 32 aftershocks of magnitude 4.2 or greater were recorded, 12 of which measured magnitude 5.0 or greater; in addition, on 24 January, the US Geological Survey reported that there had been 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater since the main quake. On 20 January, at 06:03 local time (11:03 UTC), the strongest aftershock since the earthquake, measuring magnitude 5.9 M, struck Haiti. USGS reported its epicenter was about WSW of Port-au-Prince, which would place it almost exactly under the coastal town of Petit-Goâve.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Aftershocks
ended its relief mission and has headed back to its original mission.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 13 February 2010
Much of the Haitian government, including President Préval, relocated to a police barracks near Toussaint Louverture International Airport. The death toll estimates range from 100,000 to 316,000 people. Following the earthquake, President Préval was criticized at home and abroad for his allegedly weak disaster response; his critics included U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN).
René Préval | 2010 earthquake
The earthquake occurred on 12 January 2010 approximately WSW from the country's capital Port-au-Prince at 16:53 UTC-5 on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system. The earthquake was measured a magnitude of 7.0 M earthquake and was followed by a series of aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. The main area affected by the quake was Port-au-Prince and the surrounding region, although it was also felt in several surrounding countries and regions including Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the neighbouring country of Dominican Republic. No casualties were reported outside of Haiti. Much of Port-au-Prince's infrastructure was significantly damaged or destroyed in the earthquake, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, hospitals, schools and the main prison.
Casualties of the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Background
The spread of disease was a major secondary disaster. Many survivors were treated for injuries in emergency makeshift hospitals, but many more died of gangrene, malnutrition, and infectious diseases.
History of Haiti | Earthquake 2010
The Canadian military have already vacated Jacmel. Some schools have reopened in Jacmel. The Spanish frigate "Álvaro de Bazán", delivers supplies and fresh personnel for Operation Hispaniola and .
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 15 March 2010
The earthquake struck in the most populated area of the country and the International Red Cross estimated that as many as 3 million people have been affected by the quake, including injuries and deaths. One factor that contributed to the number casualties in the aftermath of the earthquake was a lack of medical supplies, damage to hospitals, and a shortage of medical and rescue personnel. In addition, Haitian and foreign medical staff, police, and military personnel themselves became victims of the earthquake. An example of this was Port-au-Prince's Grace Children's Hospital, where it was reported on 19 January that of 120 employees, only six had been accounted for and some had been confirmed killed.
Casualties of the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Response and treatment of casualties
A team of 17 medics set up a new camp at Léogâne being the first to arrive to the scene four days after the earthquake. A third aircraft was dispatched on 24 January 2010. The airplane made a stop on Paraguay to pick up aid donated by that country. Bolivia: The Government of Bolivia announced it would contribute food and blood donations to the relief efforts.
Humanitarian response by national governments to the 2010 Haiti earthquake | South America
As a result of the 7.0 earthquake on January 12, 2010, NPH USA and NPH/NPFS suffered the tragic loss of staff, volunteers and family members, and extensive damage to its facilities. Despite these losses, thousands of victims received aid immediately and continue to be helped through various programs, including: St. Hélène Orphanage for Children, a permanent home to 400 children. Over 200 external students from the community attend the on-site school. Children displaced by the earthquake are being integrated into the home. St. Don Bosco, which supports roughly 250 children and youths from St. Hélène who now live with extended family or in group homes and attend secondary school, including a vocational school.
NPH USA | 2010 Haiti earthquake relief
On January 12, 2010 an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 M shook Haiti. It has been estimated that the lives of 3 million people have been effected by the event. Within two days, Afya shipped a 40-foot container holding mattresses, respirators, backboards, and surgical packs to aid the ailing nation. Through their collaboration with Partners in Health, Afya shipped 2500 pounds of supplies via airplane, along with four additional 40-foot containers within two weeks of the initial event. On January 28, 2010 Afya shipped its sixth container to Haiti, increasing the amount of supplies sent by Afya to over 400,000 pounds of vital supplies targeted to relief workers to aid them in their amazing efforts.
Afya Foundation | Response to 2010 Haiti earthquake
This article describes humanitarian responses from "for-profit" organizations, such as business corporations, following the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.
Humanitarian response by for-profit organisations to the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Introduction
Damage to infrastructure in the 2010 Haiti earthquake was extensive and affected areas included Port-au-Prince, Petit-Goâve, Léogâne, Jacmel and other settlements in southwestern Haiti. In February Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged. The deputy mayor of Léogâne, which was at the epicenter of the earthquake, reported that 90% percent of the buildings in that city had been destroyed and Léogâne had "to be totally rebuilt." Many notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail.
Damage to infrastructure in the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Introduction
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a devastating magnitude 7.0 M earthquake centered approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, leveled buildings throughout Haiti, including the "Peace of Mind" Hotel in Jacmel. McGarrell had just dropped off his godfather in Port-au-Prince and had stopped off at the hotel on his way to the FOSAJ center, where he both lived and worked. He was sitting with a visiting friend and fellow artist, Sue Frame, when the earthquake hit. and was killed as the building collapsed on top of him. He was apparently killed instantly. Frame ran out at the first tremor; McGarrell hesitated briefly, perhaps concerned for his laptop computer.
Flo McGarrell | Death
Nearly three weeks after the earthquake, the UN is preparing to start a major food distribution program with the goal of reaching two million people in two weeks. Only women will be allowed to directly receive the supplies. The program, run by the World Food Programme (WPF) working with its partners in the relief effort, began Sunday in Port-au-Prince with the US military keeping order to avoid chaos. The Canadian military have started to patrol Jacmel-area orphanages to try to protect against orphan-trafficking. A food aide convoy transporting aide delivered to Jérémie Airport through Jérémie, encountered a hijacking attempt by 20 men.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 30 January 2010
The Haitian government revealed resettlement plans for Port-au-Prince, involving 5 sites around the city, two on government owned land, and three other privately held sites. The privately held site owners have demanded in total, $100 million for use of their land. The IFRC decongested a refugee camp in Léogâne, creating a second one out of the overflow. A second donors conference was announced for 31 March in New York City.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 2 March 2010
On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by an earthquake that registered 7.0 on the Richter Scale. Some estimates quoted the death toll as high as 300,000, with another 300,000 wounded and more than one million people left homeless. In a partnership with Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), Miyamoto International arrived shortly afterward to aid local professionals in the reconstruction. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) worked with the Haitian government and Miyamoto International in Port-au-Prince to assess the extent of the structural damage. Miyamoto International also trained locals in masonry and structural engineering so they could repair their homes or rebuild new quake-proof buildings.
Miyamoto International | 2010 Earthquake in Haiti
USNS Comfort arrives in Haiti.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 20 January 2010
Delatour Preval was thrust into the international recovery efforts in January 2010 following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, which devastated Port-au-Prince and the surrounding region. The First Lady and President both escaped the National Palace, which collapsed in the earthquake. The couple were about to enter the private, presidential living quarters in the National Palace when the earthquake struck. Both were able to move away from the palace before the building collapsed. False rumors initially spread in Port-au-Prince that Delatour Preval had been killed in the quake. In the aftermath of the earthquake Delatour Preval told reporters, "I'm convinced the country will make it.
Elisabeth Delatour Préval | 2010 Haiti earthquake
Katz was the only full-time American correspondent in Haiti when the 2010 Haiti earthquake struck on January 12, 2010. Katz, then 29, was on the second floor of his rented house in the Pétion-Ville neighborhood when the swaying started at approximately 4:45 p.m. He rushed outside barefoot as his house collapsed, scrambling to find a phone to report the news. He borrowed a Blackberry on the street, and in doing so was the first to report the earthquake, sending out an alert that hit the wire at the same time as the U.S. Geological Survey's initial report of the quake.
Jonathan M. Katz | 2010 Haiti earthquake, aftermath and cholera
Medical aid for the Haiti earthquake became a military-style operation. At least 20 countries provided manpower, supplies or financial aid to Haiti, while the most immediate foreign assistance was being provided by military and humanitarian contingents from neighboring Dominican Republic. Dominican president Leonel Fernández visited Haiti to set up an emergency plan for assistance with president René Préval, to include reestablishing communications, rescuing the victims, burying the dead, clearing the rubble, reestablishing the supplies for electricity and water and coordinating the Dominican army with the United Nations Stabilization Mission for the relief operations. Colombia's military also contributed to the relief effort by sending relief flights.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 14 January 2010
The UN World Food Program started handing out food only to women with vouchers in Port-au-Prince on Sunday, to control the near-riotous conditions that had previously been encountered. Nine of the sixteen identified distribution points were functioning, and the crowds were calmer. The vouchers were handed out the day before on Saturday. 55 lbs bags of rice were handed out to the women. The ration card system is to be extended to other populations besides women with family in the fortnight to come. The US White House announced that funds and hospital capacity has been found for more medevac candidates to the US.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 31 January 2010
On 12 January 2010, a 7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, devastating the city. Most of the central historic area of the city was destroyed, including Haiti's prized Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince, the capital building, Legislative Palace (the parliament building), Palace of Justice (Supreme Court building), several ministerial buildings, and at least one hospital. The second floor of the Presidential Palace was thrown into the first floor, and the domes skewed at a severe tilt. The seaport and airport were both damaged, limiting aid shipments. The seaport was severely damaged by the quake and was unable to accept aid shipments for the first week.
Port-au-Prince | 2010 earthquake
The federation, which had struggled financially for years, lost all but two of its more than 30 officials during the 2010 earthquake. Also because of the earthquake, the national stadium's field, as well as many other stadiums, were converted to be used as housing for survivors and refugees in makeshift tents. Due to the financial and personal losses of the federation, large financial sums were donated by FIFA and globally–high-ranking individuals within the sport, as well as a $3 million fund for rebuilding infrastructure that had been created by FIFA.
Haitian Football Federation | 2010 earthquake
The vast majority of those injured and killed in the earthquake were Haitian. Haitian casualties came from all sectors of society, from common citizens to prominent leaders and entertainers. Victims include public figures such as Port-au-Prince Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot and the vicar general, Msgr. Charles Benoit, who were killed in the destruction of the Port-au-Prince Cathedral. A number of individuals with connections to the government were killed: Hubert Deronceray, a former Minister of Education and Minister of Social Services and a three-time candidate for President, and opposition leader Micha Gaillard. An early report also listed Justice Minister Paul Denis as one of the victims but Denis was in fact able to escape the ministry's collapsing building in time.
Casualties of the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Individuals
A catastrophic earthquake (with a Richter score of 7) occurred in Haiti on January 12, 2010. Less than two weeks after this devastating act of nature, Derose traveled on a private plane to his homeland of Haiti with a delegation of government officials, some of which included other notable Haitian-American officials. Upon arrival in Haiti, a sad Derose looked at the unrecognizable places that once appeared familiar and noted, "What man took many years to build, was gone, wiped out in a matter of seconds." Once the delegation reached the ravaged island-nation, they met with the central government in Haiti, consisting of Haitian and local officials including Parliament.
Philippe Derose | Earthquake in Haiti
Although more aid is reaching the Haitian people, the relief efforts are still falling short of the need. Uruguayan UN Peacekeepers had to fire rubber bullets to try to control unruly crowds, while distributing rice. The European Union has decided to ship 300–350 police officers to Haiti, as part of the relief effort. France will contribute around 140, Spain 100, the Netherlands 60, and the rest will come from other EU members.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 25 January 2010
All hospitals were destroyed or so badly damaged that they were abandoned. In addition, the facilities of foreign governments and non-government organizations were badly damaged in the quake, including the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which was destroyed.
Casualties of the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Background
While the vast majority of casualties were Haitian civilians, the dead included aid workers, embassy staff, foreign tourists—and a number of public figures, including Archbishop of Port-au-Prince Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, aid worker Zilda Arns and officials in the Haitian government, including opposition leader Michel "Micha" Gaillard. Also killed were a number of well-known Haitian musicians and sports figures, including thirty members of the Fédération Haïtienne de Football. At least 85 United Nations personnel working with MINUSTAH were killed, among them the Mission Chief, Hédi Annabi, his deputy, Luiz Carlos da Costa, and police commissioner Douglas Coates. Around 200 guests were killed in the collapse of the Hôtel Montana in Port-au-Prince.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Casualties
Prior to the earthquake of 2010, the Director Jean Wilfrid Bertrand has said that items in the archive were already damaged, destroyed or poorly housed. These items included civil registrations, and papers from the President, Ministries and Parliament. He has said that "since the earthquake, the situation is worse". In the meantime, he is working with the International Association of Francophone Archives (Association Internationale des Archives Francophone) who have been providing guidance since the earthquake. The "Protecting Haitian Patrimony Initiative" has worked to preserve the materials in the National Archives and other cultural heritage institutions by providing money, archival supplies, and help coordinating the assistance .
National Archives of Haiti | Effect of the 2010 earthquake
On January 12, 2010, an earthquake with a scale of 7.0 struck Haiti just 10 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. According to Haitian government estimations, the earthquake killed or injured 616,000 people, damaged or destroyed 250,000 residences, and left 1,000,000 people homeless. In response to the disaster, PADF has helped assess the structural safety of more than 400,000 buildings, repaired more than 9,000 homes, and instituted more than 1,000 community development programs in what is the single largest effort in the organization's history. COVID-19 response
Pan American Development Foundation | 2010 Haiti earthquake response
It has been revealed that an earlier attempt by New Life Children's Refuge (Laura Silsby's group), three days before their final abortive attempt, was tried. Up to forty children were removed from a bus by a Haitian police officer at a tent city, who informed the group that it was illegal to remove Haitian children. Choice Hotels reiterated its commitment to Jacmel, and the post-quake recovery of the city. It will go ahead with its two planned hotels in the city. The US 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is rotating out of Haiti, having been replaced by the US 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, in their position on USS "Bataan" and Carrefour, Léogâne, Grand-Goâve, Petit-Goâve.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 9 February 2010
Swiss-based Medair has started provided permanent shelters in Jacmel, that can evolved from metal-framed tents to metal clad sheds. With residents clearing their own lots, Medair would provide the shelter. Residents of the "Pinchinat" tent city in Jacmel are receiving one meal a day.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 4 March 2010
Jamaica sent a team of 168 military and medical personnel to Port-au-Prince. Staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross already in the country distributed medical items to hospitals and two ICRC-chartered aircraft carrying specialized staff and 40 tonnes of relief supplies – mainly medical items – left Geneva for the island. At the same time, the organization made its forensic expertise available to organizations attempting to recover and identify the dead. Communication and infrastructure problems were worsened by the destruction. Streets were clogged with debris and rubble, making it nearly impossible to distribute food, water, temporary shelter, and medical supplies that had been delivered throughout the day by international charities and governments to the airport.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 14 January 2010
In addition, the Ministry of National Education building was completely destroyed. The cost of destruction and damage to establishments and equipment at all levels of the education system is estimated at 478.9 million USD. Another residual effect has been the number of children disabled by resulting injuries from the earthquake. These children are now experiencing permanent disabilities, and many schools lack the resources to properly attend to them.
Education in Haiti | Impact of 2010 earthquake
The third is at a Léogâne orphanage, considered secure, but there are problems discouraging children from playing with it. The stations are roughly 50 km apart. These are the first seismic stations ever in the country. A Spanish version of "We Are the World" was recorded for Haiti earthquake relief. Amongst the performers were Carlos Santana, José Feliciano and David Archuleta.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 19 February 2010
The government sent eight mobile medical units along with 36 doctors including orthopaedic specialists, traumatologists, anaesthetists, and surgeons. In addition, 39 trucks carrying canned food were dispatched, along with 10 mobile kitchens and 110 cooks capable of producing 100,000 meals per day. Other nations from farther afield also sent personnel, medicines, materiel, and other aid to Haiti. The first team to arrive in Port-au-Prince was ICE-SAR from Iceland, landing within 24 hours of the earthquake. A 50-member Chinese team arrived early Thursday morning. From the Middle East, the government of Qatar sent a strategic transport aircraft (C-17), loaded with 50 tonnes of urgent relief materials and 26 members from the Qatari armed forces, the internal security force (Lekhwiya), police force and the Hamad Medical Corporation, to set up a field hospital and provide assistance in Port-au-Prince and other affected areas in Haiti.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Early response
On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake, the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years. The epicenter of the quake was just outside the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. Over 230,000 civilians have been confirmed dead by the Haitian government because of the disaster and around 300,000 have been injured. Approximately 1.2 million people are homeless and it has been reported that the lack of temporary shelter may lead to the outbreak of disease. To raise money for earthquake victims, a new celebrity version of "We Are the World" was recorded on February 1, 2010, and released on February 12, 2010.
We Are the World | 25 for Haiti
On 12 January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck in the department, the largest in Haiti in two centuries. In the Port-au-Prince Arrondissement, many areas suffered damage. In the Léogâne Arrondissement, the city of Léogâne suffered 80-90% destruction. Other places in Léogâne were also affected.
Ouest (department) | 2010 7.0 earthquake
Soon after the quake struck appeals for international aid were issued by Haitian government officials, including Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States. Neighboring Dominican Republic was one of the first countries to give aid to Haiti. And the non-governmental organization Giving Children Hope distributed much-needed medicines and supplies. International organization also began large-scale fund raising campaigns for aid to Haiti, including campaigns by the International Red Cross and relief charities in Britain. On 25 January Handicap International published a statement that an estimated 1,000 amputations had taken place due to injuries. In response to the quake the organization dispatched 30 rehabilitation and health staff to Haiti and announced that they would eventually increase staff numbers to 100 and provide hundreds of prostheses.
Casualties of the 2010 Haiti earthquake | Response and treatment of casualties
Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the French foreign ministry made a formal request to the Paris Club on January 17 to completely cancel Haiti's external debt. A number of commentators drew references from the early 19th-century indemnity demand and how it had severely depleted the Haitian government's treasury and economic capabilities.
Haiti indemnity controversy | 2010 earthquake
The first 160 Japanese troops are leaving for Haiti. After the G7 Finance Ministers summit in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada; the G7 decided to cancel all debts of Haiti owing to their nations. Before the meeting, several of the countries had already announced intentions to do so. Dominica and Saint Lucia announced they would provide around 60 Creole-speaking personnel to provide help to Haiti in the Haitians' own language.
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake | 6 February 2010
A small tsunami hit Jacmel Bay, with the ocean receding, leaving fish high and dry on the seabed, and rushing back in, four times.
Jacmel | 2010 Haiti earthquake
According to estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey, approximately 3.5 million people lived in the area that experienced shaking intensity of MM VII to X, a range that can cause moderate to very heavy damage even to earthquake-resistant structures. Shaking damage was more severe than for other quakes of similar magnitude due to the quake's shallow depth. The quake occurred in the vicinity of the northern boundary where the Caribbean tectonic plate shifts eastwards by about per year in relation to the North American plate. The strike-slip fault system in the region has two branches in Haiti, the Septentrional-Oriente fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault in the south; both its location and focal mechanism suggested that the January 2010 quake was caused by a rupture of the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault, which had been locked for 250 years, gathering stress.
2010 Haiti earthquake | Geology