Haiti 2010 Earthquake Flashcards
How strong was the Earthquake?
7.0 magnitude
What was the death toll?
230,000+
How many displaced?
1.5m
What percentage of Port-au-Prince’s buildings were damaged or destroyed?
70%
What were the key challenges in emergency response?
Poor infrastructure, political instability, lack of coordination, and dependency on foreign aid severely hampered relief efforts.
How much international aid was pledged?
$13 billion, small % went to government directly
How did the Haitian government respond?
limited due to institutional collapse, widespread damage to government buildings, and reliance on external actors.
What role did NGOs and the UN play?
10,000, but coordination poor so left to local authorities
What long-term issues followed?
Slow reconstruction, cholera outbreak (brought by UN peacekeepers), land disputes, and persistent poverty.
Realism
Haiti relied on external actors for survival. Also raises questions about sovereignty in crisis.
Liberalism
international institutions, NGOs, and cooperative humanitarian efforts—although coordination failures challenge the liberal ideal.
Constructivism
Examines how Haiti is socially constructed as a site of perpetual crisis, shaping international perceptions and aid responses.
Marxism / Dependency Theory
Sees the disaster and aid system as reinforcing economic dependence, where foreign donors and corporations benefit more than Haitians.
Postcolonial Theory
Critiques the colonial legacy, racism, and Western paternalism that shape Haiti’s marginalization and the power imbalance in aid delivery.
Feminist IR
disproportionate harm, including sexual violence in camps, and were excluded from decision-making in aid delivery.
What was the role of MINUSTAH?
UN peacekeeping mission security role but also caused a cholera outbreak, killing over 10,000 Haitians
What is meant by “disaster capitalism”?
private companies and foreign contractors profited from reconstruction efforts with minimal benefit to locals.
