Case Study - Haiti earthquake Flashcards
Facts
Where and when?
What scale?
How many dead?
Economic Damage
Haiti is a lower middle-income country in the Caribbean.
Earthquake occurred in the boundary region separating the Caribbean plate and the North America plate
… in 2010
7 on the Richter scale
230,000 dead
US$8billion
What were the Primary Impacts
Loss of life and injuries - over 230,000 dead; thousands more injured - healthcare system overwhelmed.
90% of overall buildings damaged or destroyed.
- Infrastructure damage: 50% of all hospitals and 80% of all schools destroyed or extensively damaged
- Housing collapse - 300,000 homes crumbled, leaving a substantial proportion of people homeless
Bridges/roads collapsed
Train lines damaged
What were the secondary impacts
Hunger - no food meant food prices rocketed; people died of starvation
1.5million homeless. People forced to live in shelters/camps as they had no homes, leading to overcrowding and disease (7000 people died of cholera).
Hundreds of landslides took place, which destroyed local ecosystems and habitats.
Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Grace turned the landslides into mud and led to widespread flooding.
A 3 m high tsunami was recorded around the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Bodies piled up on the streets as morgues full up.
Unemployment - business had nowhere to operate, transport systems destroyed so couldn’t move goods about
What were the short-term relief efforts
Massive foreign aid including food, water, medical supplies and temporary housing and tends. Rescue & search teams sent in also.
UN = peacekeeping force to provide security and support for relief effort.
Two years later, half a million people still homeless.
Long-term planning
Trained and funded emergency services
Emergency services personal now trained and equipped (firefighters, search & rescue)
Foreign aid - donate money to buy new equipment and trade emergency services to strengthen them
Preparation
Warning and Evacuation, Building Design
Public awareness campaigns to promote earthquake preparedness
Strengthening of building and construction standards
Reinforcing critical infrastructure like hospitals and schools
