Report on Haiti Earthquake and Its Government

Report on Haiti Earthquake and its Government

This report was requested as a requirement of the TPC unit "Apply Language and Learning skills." It examines the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

The massive earthquake that struck Haiti's capital Port-au Prince in January 2010 left approximately 222 750 people dead and 300 572 injured. 105 000 homes were completely destroyed and 208 000 seriously damaged. About 3 million Haitians were affected out of a population of 10 million. The cost of the damage is thought to be US$7.8 billion. In the year since the earthquake the international community has responded by pledging 70 percent of the US$1.5 billion humanitarian appeal, as well as $5.3 billion for reconstruction. A further $4.6billion has been pledged for longer term reconstruction.

Major challenges plague the reconstruction effort. 1 050 000 people are still living in temporary camps, sleeping in refugee shelters where they are vulnerable to weather and security threats. Cholera has claimed over 2 350 lives, most earthquake affected people are still without employment or a steady source of income. in the 1 199 camps that still dot the capital safety is a major problem, especially for women and children. Only two percent of the rubble has been cleared. Shortage of building materials, as well as complex challenges relating to land tenure, is preventing new permanent homes being built.

Vulnerability and Poverty

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with most of the population illiterate and food scarcity. In the 20 years prior to the January 2010 earthquake, urbanization and repeated natural disasters led to 7 550 deaths and 3.5 million people being affected. A lack of planning and the failure of building regulations in Port au Prince have resulted in highly populated slums with hovels perched on steep slopes, and poor quality building through the city.

Response of the Haitian people

The first response to the earthquake was led by the Haitian people, with the help of national NGOs and neighbourhood provided assistance and mobilized resources.

International humanitarian aid

With so many international organizations, coordination of the international response effort and the interaction with national actors was a major challenge in the weeks and months following the earthquake. UN led groups were officially activated within a few days, but many were ineffective for several weeks as they struggled to coordinate the vast network of NGO actors involved in the humanitarian response. National NGOs were largely excluded as many meetings took place in English in the limited access Logistics Base of the UN Stabilization mission. Interface with the national government was also limited despite the fact that the government had produced six working groups with government and civil society representation to cover food aid, health, water, energy, reconstruction and shelter. Inner coordination was weak and groups operated within themselves hampering any cross-group cooperation. The UN itself faced huge difficulties with almost one hundred UN staff killed in the earthquake, including the Special Representative of the Secretary