On Tuesday morning, January 12, a massive earthquake -- the most powerful to hit Haiti in a century -- struck shortly before 4:53 P.M local time. It was centered 10 miles southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince. On a scale of one to ten, the earthquake clocked in at 7.0 and was followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude. Witnesses said it could be felt strongly in eastern Cuba, more than 200 miles away.
Haitian ambassador, Raymond Alcide Joseph told CNN reporters:"The only thing I can do now is pray and hope for the best."
Haiti is situated 77 km southeast of Cuba and is the second largest Caribbean Island . It occupies the western third of a slipper-shaped island shared with the Dominican Republic and is roughly the side of Maryland.
Haiti country is the poorest in the Western hemisphere. According to the CIA world fact book, 80 percent of Haiti's population lives under the poverty line. Only 54 percent of the population has access to clean drinking water and 30 percent have access to improved sanitation facilities. In rural areas starvation runs wild and the cities are little better.
Eyewitnesses were staggered at the power of the earthquake. Mark Godfrey, an American contractor working in Haiti, said that within mere minutes of the quake "a huge plume of dust and smoke rose up over the [Port-au-Prince]" rapidly developing into “a blanket that completely covered the city.”
The extent of devastation after the earthquake shocked the world. Haitian president Rene Preval described it as “unimaginable.” Crumbled buildings lined the streets of the capital, while cries emitted from survivors trapped beneath. The Pan American Health Organization puts the death toll at 50,000-100,000, while Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said 100,000 "would seem a minimum.”
A Haitian journalist reported, “The presidential palace, the finance ministry, the ministry of public works, the ministry of communication and culture," were all affected by the quake. He added that the parliament building and a cathedral in the capital were also crumbling. Because Port-au-Prince is perched on a steep incline, the rubble from its crushed houses slipped down the hillside.
U.S President Barack Obama said the U.S. government would "stand ready to assist the people of Haiti." Obama pledged both civilian and military aid, while Britain, France, Canada, Germany, China, Mexico and Venezuela pledged immediate support in the form of personnel, cash and supplies.
Brazil sent 1,266 peacekeeping troops to the island. Spain rushed in three planes with at least 100 tons of tents, blankets and cooking kits. British Prime minister Gordon Brown promised to send firefighters, emergency equipment and finance, saying the country was at "the centre of the world's thoughts".
For this mass of aid workers the challenge of helping Haiti's earthquake survivors was enormous. First, they were forced to sort through the endless red tape of passport acceptance, and finagle a ride to take them and their equipment from the DR to Haiti.
Once there, they were met with hundreds of crumpled buildings, little heavy machinery, and few working phones. Roads full of hungry, homeless people made travel difficult.
Severe damage to at least eight Port-au-Prince hospitals made it nearly impossible to treat the thousands of injured or prevent outbreaks of disease.
Stories of hope punctuate the chaos, destruction and despair. Orphanages filled with scores of children survived without losing a single life. Seven days after the first earthquake hit, American rescue personnel dug a live and healthy young boy named Kiki, out of the rubble of his home.
On Wednesday morning, twenty-four hours after the earthquake's first tremor, the Haitian people gathered in the main square of Port-au-Prince, and joined with one voice in singing songs of their homeland.
Radio Netherlands Worldwide's reporter Hans Jaap Melissen described the touching scene:
“When dawn broke I heard singing all over city. It's as if the people are comforting each other by coming together like this. The churches themselves have collapsed but they are coming together in the open air and singing.”
Sources:
http://www.homorazzi.com/tag/haiti-earthquake-january-2010/
http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/national/article/world_nations_rush_rescue_relief_workers_to_haiti/17049/
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/health-next-disaster-haiti
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/12/haiti.earthquake/index.html?eref=time_world
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/family/articles/haitianamericans_worry_about_devastated_homeland.html?CMP=KNC-360I-YAHOO-BULL&HBX_OU=51&HBX_PK=earthquake_in_haiti&utm_source=Yahoo%2BPanama&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=earthquake%2Bin%2Bhaiti&utm_campaign=Y%21-Your%2BWorld%2B-%2BArticles
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34853738/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/13/haiti-earthquake-disaster-hundreds-dead
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