What Happened to Haiti?
In Port-au-Prince, Haiti a magnitude 7.2 earthquake violently shook Haiti on the morning of 14th August 2021. This was and continues to be another catastrophic setback to the impoverished nation currently in shock from the assassination of their president about a month prior. Haiti had not recovered from a disastrous quake more than 11 years ago and the number of tropical storms and hurricanes impacting the country over the last decade has unraveled significant progress of recovery.
The recent earthquake destroyed hospitals that had been instrumental in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. In at least two cities in the western part of the country’s southern peninsula, buildings and homes were flattened, trapping people under the rubble.
The United Nations Reports, “Four days after a devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit south-western Haiti, the level of destruction and desperation is becoming increasingly evident, the United Nations said on Wednesday, noting that the death toll has surged to nearly 2,000.”
This disaster came amid a serious political crisis caused by the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse on July 7. The unsolved assassination, a lack of leadership, severe poverty, COVID-19 pandemic, and systematic gang violence in parts of Haiti had undermined the nation’s government causing them to scramble at this recent earthquake.
Why is Haiti being affected by major earthquakes?
The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck five miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes in the western part of the country, about 80 miles west of Port-au-Prince. Seismologists said it had a depth of seven miles and felt as far away as 200 miles in Jamaica.
The earthquake that struck Haiti on 14th August occurred on the same system of faults like the one that devastated the capital, Port-au-Prince, in January 2010. Both these earthquakes struck on an east-west fault line at the convergence of two tectonic plates, large segments of the Earth’s crust that slowly move in relationship to each other. At this fault line, called the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone caused by the Caribbean Plate and the North American Plate moving laterally, or side by side. Pressure builds up when the plates lock and when the plates try to move great pressure/energy is released causing the earthquake; similar to the San Andres Fault in California. Unfortunately, the western part of Haiti is situated right above this fault line.
The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck five miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes in the western part of the country, about 80 miles west of Port-au-Prince. Seismologists said it had a depth of seven miles and felt as far away as 200 miles in Jamaica.
How will this disaster impact Haiti & what do they need?
According to the United Nations, ” some 1.2 million people, including 540,000 children, have been affected by the earthquake and about half a million Haitian children have limited or no access to shelter, safe water, health care, and nutrition.” While severe humanitarian access constraints and fragile security continue to complicate the humanitarian response in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tropical Storm Grace reached the country hampering relief efforts.
Despite the threat of gang violence, UNICEF was able to deliver enough supplies to 3 major hospitals in Port au Prince– including gloves, painkillers, antibiotics, and syringes – to treat 30,000 earthquake victims over three months. 94 out of 255 schools were badly damaged. This is a significant blow to students scheduled to return to the classroom 3 weeks before the earthquake. As school provides a secure environment for children, protecting them from violence, sexual abuse, there is an urgent need to evaluate damages to ensure rehabilitation of these damaged/destroyed schools. The National Directorate for Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) with the support of UNICEF reported 25 water supply piped systems were damaged in addition to the urgent needs for safe drinking water for the most affected population.
Based on preliminary analysis of needs in the affected area, UNICEF estimates that US$15 million are required to ensure immediate support to Government and humanitarian partners, in responding to the most urgent, life-saving needs of children and families in the affected areas, for the first 4-8 weeks.
How can you help?
At Jirie Caribbean, we recognize the need to use our platforms to inform as many of our followers and subscribers about Haiti, a Caribbean nation with so much to offer the world in culture, food, and history. Once labeled as the Pearl of the Antilles, Haiti has been challenged with so much misfortune and the people have persevered but with so much happening all at once for Haiti- civil unrest, COVID-19, earthquakes, and hurricanes, the country is beyond overwhelmed. They cannot do this alone. Haiti needs your help. This is not only a national disaster but a serious humanitarian crisis.
There are so many things happening in the world right now and so many stories in the news and on social media. The situation in Haiti has been losing interest in the media and this is another devastating blow to Haiti. Without the world being aware of this crisis, the chance of outreach decreases. You can help Haiti by making the situation known in your social media posts. Including social media tags referencing Haiti, sharing news posts with your friends. Your voice can help save millions of lives.
In the past, with other disasters affecting Haiti, there had been a number of donation and charity scams and fraud, another challenge for Haiti that deterred persons from donating because they feared that their donations would never reach the intended. PBS NewsHour recommends donating to UNICEF, Project HOPE, Hope for Haiti, Save the Children, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, The Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s relief fund and Operation Helping Hands from The United Way and the Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald.
Let us not just wish and pray for hope for the people of Haiti, let us be the hope for the people of Haiti.