THE HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE DISASTER OF JANUARY 10, 2010

SHOULD BE PAST HISTORY

BUT IT DEFINITELY ISN’T

February 21, 2012

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of

North Carolina, USA

BACKGROUND

The Disaster Began at 4:53 PM January 12,

2010

M7.0 EARTHQUAKE STRIKES HAITI

“THE WORST URBAN DISASTER IN A GENERATION” DEVASTATED THE

WESTERN HEMISPHERE’S POOREST NATION

It was the largest quake ever recorded in the area and the first major one since a M6.7

temblor in 1984

SHALLOW HYPOCENTER

• The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was centered about 10 miles (16 km) west of Port-au-Prince, with 1.8 million people in the area at high risk.

• Lack of building codes and the quake’s shallow depth - about 5 miles (8 km), exacerbated damage.

IT OCCURRED ON THE ENRIQUILLO - PLAINTAIN GARDEN

FAULT, A STRIKE SLIP FAULT ZONE THAT BEARS THE STRESS CAUSED BY THE CONVERGENCE OF THE CARIBBEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN TECTONIC PLATES IN

THIS LOCATION.

THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE AND THE CARIBBEAN PLATE

BUILDING DAMAGE

• Thousands of buildings (e.g., houses, businesses, schools, prisons, hospitals) were damaged or destroyed.

• After years of political instability in Haiti, no modern construction standards had been implemented..

THOUSANDS OF BUILDING DAMAGED OR DESTROYED

CATASTROPHIC DEATH TOLL REACHED

• Over two hundred thousand casualties occurred.

COLLAPSE OF UN BUILDING; PORT AU PRINCE

THE NATIONAL PALACE WAS DAMAGED

1,5 MILLION WERE LIVING IN TENT CITIES IN JULY, 2010

THE DISASTER LINGERS ON:

No Home Except a Tent or a Damaged Building

[source: The Washington Post

February 20, 2012

515,000 HAITIANS STILL LIVE IN 707 CAMPS: FEB. 20, 2012

THE NATIONAL PALACE (PHOTO BEFORE THE QUAKE)

20,000 POOR HAITIANS “SQUAT” IN FRONT OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

ACTIONS ARE HAPPENING AT A SNAIL’S PACE

• International Aid workers are trying to find ways to get the 20,000 people squatting in front of the National Palace to pack up and go, BUT where will they go.

PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN 84,000+ DAMAGED HOUSES:PORT AU PRINCE

ACTIONS ARE HAPPENING AT A SNAIL’S PACE

• Inspectors have marked the 84,0000+ damaged buildings for demolition, BUT only 6,000 have been demolished, because the people living in them have no place to go.

THE PRICE TAG

• The Haitian Government is spending $30 million to empty SIX camps--- there are 701 more..

• The Champs de Mars Project funded by Canada is spending $20 million to move 20,000 people from in front of the National Palace; leaving about 500,000 more to move,

THE GRIM REALITY

No country, no group of donors, no NGO, NOONE is ready to donate $500

million to solve the humanitarian disaster in Haiti