Billy Kelly and Alli Masley: Free Press Staff
The earthquake that ravaged the capital city of Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas has officially claimed over 230,000 lives.
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a catastrophic magnitude-7 earthquake struck just under 10 miles below the surface of the Earth about 15 miles from Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The United States reported 33 aftershocks after the initial quake, around half of them being of 5.0 magnitude or above.
Due to the poverty of which the Haitian people have lived in, the poorly built architecture throughout the country saw untold damage and destruction. Many well-known landmarks were either significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly Building, and the Port-au-Prince Cathedral. Most of the hospitals in the area were also destroyed, hindering the relief efforts of the medical staffs at the scene.
The initial death toll estimates released by the Red Cross were between 35-50 thousand; the number of buried have already surpassed that mark. Many of the dead have been thrown in mass graves. Dr. Jon Andrus, deputy director of the Pan American Health Organization, released this statement regarding the handling of the dead: "We know that bodies have been buried, we feel inappropriately”.
It was Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive that went to CNN with the number of 72,000 bodies that had been found, and the toll did not include the dead buried by their respective families or the number collected by the United Nations. The Pan American Health Organization now places the estimate of deaths to be at around 200,000. Millions have also been displaced and are currently without food, water, and shelter.
Although Haiti was once the richest conlony in the French Empire, it is now widely considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the least developed in the world. Located in the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola, Haiti’s size is comparable to the state of Maryland.
Out of its 8.7 million residents, nearly four out of five live in poverty, and more than half in abject poverty. As a result of this, deforestation, and over-farming the land, the region is highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes. Haiti has also been known for its history of devastating hurricanes as well.
Overcrowding had been another major issue. When Port-au-Prince was built, it was intended to hold between 50-100 thousand people. It is estimated that between 2 and 3 million were living there at the time of the earthquake.
Aid efforts for the region have also been overwhelming. Water, food, and other necessities have been brought in by the United States and other countries all over the world. The amount of supplies sent in has been so staggering that some of them were not even able to leave the airport in the capital. Outside of Haiti, around $220 million has been donated to U.S. relief groups.
As with many disasters, looting has become an issue in Haiti. The high levels of stress have erupted into violence, as evidence when hundreds of Haitians broke into a store in the downtown area of the capital, taking everything. It is believed that these incidents are isolated, however.
Countries around the world have deployed military aid and peace-keeping organizations to the devastated area, hoping to accelerate the relief efforts. The rescue efforts have been staggering as well. Some 43 international rescue teams composed of 1,700 people have carried out around 90 rescues.
Amidst all the destruction, inspiring stories of survival can be found. One American man drove 6 hours on the day of the quake to find his wife; he found her buried, but alive, under the rubble. Miraculously, young children have also been discovered alive.
With musicians, celebrities, and the everyday people around you pitching in to help out those involved in the Haiti devastation, you may be wondering how you can help. The best route to pursue is to raise funds locally to help larger organizations send people for aid. It is easy to find internet donation sites, but it is important to be aware of possible scams. Also, if the site is slow, it is probably just being overloaded. If you are interested in sending money to relief sites, you can follow the links below for some options:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/kindness/post/2010/01/how-to-help-victims-of-the-haiti-earthquake/1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34835478/ns/world_news-americas/
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