The Earthquake in Haiti

The Haiti earthquake first came to my attention, thanks to a YouTube video urging people to donate whatever they can towards the victims of this natural disaster, that was measured at a devastating 7.0 Mw on the Richter scale.

Taking a heavy toll on Haiti’s infrastructure, the earthquake took place at 15:53 hrs local time on Tuesday, January 12 2010, with the epicenter located near the town of Léogâne. Almost 170,000 bodies have been recovered, and the counting still continues. Apart from human casualties, almost 20,000 commercial buildings and 225,000 residential buildings collapsed due to the ferocity of the natural disaster, specifically in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and the other settlements in the region.

Not only did the earthquake take thousands of lives that are still unaccounted for, but also the lives of the Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, the Opposition Leader Micha Gaillard as well as UN personnel and tourists. Notable buildings such as the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly Building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the capital and the main jail that were some of the building that collapsed in the aftermath.

However, Haiti is no stranger to natural disasters as it has a long history of recurring cyclones, tsunamis and earthquakes that have struck the island with a ferocity that can only be described as the work of Mother Nature in all its destructive glory.

With up to three million survivors still cut off from rescue efforts, rioting has only compounded the situation resulted leaving the police taking firm action to bring a state of law and order. Currently, despite the volatility of gang violence being an imminent threat, a two-week food distribution program has begun in earnest to feed the two million people in ravaged capital of Haiti.