Haiti Flashcards
When
2010
What fault did this occur on
Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault, a strike-slip fault from North American and Caribbean plates moving in opposite directions
Haiti context
2024: 25th poorest country in world, 1/3 GDP remittances, 4 2008 hurricanes
Port au Prince context
1/3 have clean tapwater, 86% in slums from rural-urban migration, high deforestation for charcoal so landslides
Where was the epicentre
25km East of Port au Prince
Earthquake magnitude
7.0 Mw
Earthquake focus
Shallow
Aftershocks
At least 52 4.5Mw+ by 24th Jan
Tsunami
Localised, killed at least 3 people, engulfed buildings
Landslides
Triggered over 30,000, displacing 30,000,000 m3 material over 3000 km2
Liquefaction
Yes
Dominican Republic response
First response with resources and allowing hospital border crossing, Red Cross sent 18 mobile units (kitchen and medical)
Issues with response
Lack of airports, ports (both damaged) and emergency plan, 100 UN personnel deaths meant long time for a plan, needs duplicated
World Bank response
Wiped 1/2 debt, gave longer to pay other 1/2, helped in community driven earthquake resistant rebuilding
22nd Jan
‘Hope for Haiti now’, history’s most watched telethon, raised US $58m by next day
MSF response
Already there, provided emergency medicine to over 150,000
Haiti response
Decentralise from Port au Prince, modernisation, nationwide healthcare, reduce AID dependence
Failures of Haiti response
Over 3000 NGOs still present, people still in camps, 2012 Hurricane Sandy, unrest
How many fatalities
230,000
What % of Port au Prince destroyed
60%
How many camps
1100: cholera, rape, etc.
Cholera
Gone for 100y, bad feeling towards Nepalese UN troops
Socio-economic impacts
No mobile phone signal, protested mass burials, rainy season slowed reconstruction
Cost
$11.5b
Environmental impacts
Coastal floods from tidal waves, landmarks destroyed e.g. presidential palace, uncontrolled debris dumping, more deforestation as need timber to reconstruct, landslide
Political impacts
Brain drain, many nurses opted to leave, elections postponed then low turnout so fraud allegations
Effect on protection
Better road network resilience, earthquake resistant rebuilding e.g. accessible wattle and daub
Effect on planning
Emergency plans, Haitian coordinator for foreign aid, drills, areas with food stockpiles and bottled water