Jump to content

Haiti Earthquake

Ω Link Ω

By Ω Link Ω
in General

Recommended Posts

Dark Newbie

Dark

Posted
Posted

Dark Phoenix, you didn't understand a word of what I am saying.

 

So let me show you step-by-step, with bolded text.

 

1.) A large-scale earthquake was predicted for the Haiti area.

2.) Thus, the Haitian people knew there was some danger staying in the area.

3.) Whether they had the resources or not, they decided NOT to move.

4.) The earthquake inevitably happened, and there was large-scale destruction.

5.) The US government is funneling money into Haiti to help the victims.

 

Understand so far?

 

What I am saying is, because the people knew there was a risk and continued to stay in Haiti, no one should spend an excess amount of money helping them, nor should the Haitian people require sympathy for the disaster. Whether they had the resources or not, they 100% knew the risk. Who is to blame? I don't know, neither do I care. All that I know is that the US government should not be helping the Haitian people for what they inevitably brought upon themselves.

 

For Katrina, the people living in Louisiana knew that the city was under sea level. Even without a prediction, they knew that if a hurricane were to hit the New Orleans it would cause large-scale destruction. So, whether they had the resources or not, they knew about the risk, but still decided to stay. So when the hurricane happened and there was destruction, the people wanted sympathy from the US government. We funneled SO MUCH MONEY into the Katrina victims, when they decided to stay in a risky area.

 

Your point about erosion is bullshit, because people probably didn't inhabit that area before 1000 CE. Maybe a little earlier, too. But that's only 1000 years for erosion to chip away 100 feet of land from an entire city. Erosion isn't that fast. You told me to read books. Well, I did, I am, and I am going to. And if I didn't read books, I wouldn't know about the approximate rate of erosion.

 

Furthermore, the point I made about mud houses was in favor of you and your views. If you have technology that can only withstand a 3.0 earthquake without causing large-scale destruction, then it's very stupid to live in an area that has frequent 5.5 earthquakes. Likewise, if you have technology that can only withstand a category 2 hurricane, it's in your favor to live inland, not near the coast. Furthermore, if you have a large city that's very important, it's stupid to have it located on a fault line. Because should something happen, the technology will let everything be destroyed. And finally, if you have a mobile home which is prone to being torn apart by tornados, living in a state like Texas (or that general area) is stupid because youn know it's prone to getting hit by tornados.

 

Let's assume that you went into Lousiana, and didn't know about hurricanes. In this day and age, that's bullshit. But let's assume 1700 CE. And you live there for 50 years, and pass the property through generations and generations. Finally, some hurricane is predicted for your general area. And let's also assume you have absolutely no means of getting out of the city. So the hurricane hits, and your house is totaled. Well, that's a little bit bad for you. You knew the risk afterwards, and had no choice but to stay in that city.

 

That's the example you keep giving to counter me. And I understand that could happen. But again, they should not expect sympathy from anyone else. It's bad luck on their part, but no one else should be bearing the blame. It's not their fault, either, but it's not my fault. So why should I contribute 500,000 dollars to help?

 

inb4tl;dr

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 119
  • Created
  • Last Reply
T. Sankara Apprentice

T. Sankara

Posted
Posted

Dark Phoenix' date=' you didn't understand a word of what I am saying.

 

So let me show you step-by-step, with bolded text.

 

[b']1.) A large-scale earthquake was predicted for the Haiti area.

2.) Thus, the Haitian people knew there was some danger staying in the area.

3.) Whether they had the resources or not, they decided NOT to move.

4.) The earthquake inevitably happened, and there was large-scale destruction.

5.) The US government is funneling money into Haiti to help the victims.[/b]

 

Understand so far?

 

What I am saying is, because the people knew there was a risk and continued to stay in Haiti, no one should spend an excess amount of money helping them, nor should the Haitian people require sympathy for the disaster. Whether they had the resources or not, they 100% knew the risk. Who is to blame? I don't know, neither do I care. All that I know is that the US government should not be helping the Haitian people for what they inevitably brought upon themselves.

 

For Katrina, the people living in Louisiana knew that the city was under sea level. Even without a prediction, they knew that if a hurricane were to hit the New Orleans it would cause large-scale destruction. So, whether they had the resources or not, they knew about the risk, but still decided to stay. So when the hurricane happened and there was destruction, the people wanted sympathy from the US government. We funneled SO MUCH MONEY into the Katrina victims, when they decided to stay in a risky area.

 

Your point about erosion is bullshit, because people probably didn't inhabit that area before 1000 CE. Maybe a little earlier, too. But that's only 1000 years for erosion to chip away 100 feet of land from an entire city. Erosion isn't that fast. You told me to read books. Well, I did, I am, and I am going to. And if I didn't read books, I wouldn't know about the approximate rate of erosion.

 

Furthermore, the point I made about mud houses was in favor of you and your views. If you have technology that can only withstand a 3.0 earthquake without causing large-scale destruction, then it's very stupid to live in an area that has frequent 5.5 earthquakes. Likewise, if you have technology that can only withstand a category 2 hurricane, it's in your favor to live inland, not near the coast. Furthermore, if you have a large city that's very important, it's stupid to have it located on a fault line. Because should something happen, the technology will let everything be destroyed. And finally, if you have a mobile home which is prone to being torn apart by tornados, living in a state like Texas (or that general area) is stupid because youn know it's prone to getting hit by tornados.

 

Let's assume that you went into Lousiana, and didn't know about hurricanes. In this day and age, that's bullshit. But let's assume 1700 CE. And you live there for 50 years, and pass the property through generations and generations. Finally, some hurricane is predicted for your general area. And let's also assume you have absolutely no means of getting out of the city. So the hurricane hits, and your house is totaled. Well, that's a little bit bad for you. You knew the risk afterwards, and had no choice but to stay in that city.

 

That's the example you keep giving to counter me. And I understand that could happen. But again, they should not expect sympathy from anyone else. It's bad luck on their part, but no one else should be bearing the blame. It's not their fault, either, but it's not my fault. So why should I contribute 500,000 dollars to help?

 

inb4tl;dr

 

And?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rig Stig Newbie

Rig Stig

Posted
Posted

[spoiler=Its a Disaster. Thats all thats to it... ....Or Is It?]The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake centred approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, striking at 16:53:10 local time (21:53:10 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.[4] The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of at least 33 aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. Scientists predict these to continue for at least two weeks after the initial event.[5] The International Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake,[6] and the Haitian Interior Minister believes that up to 200,000 have died as a result of the disaster,[7] exceeding earlier Red Cross estimates of 45,000–50,000.[2] Several prominent public figures are among the dead.

 

The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince. Most major landmarks were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace (President René Préval survived), the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail.[8][9][10] To compound the tragedy, most hospitals in the area were destroyed.[11] The United Nations (UN) reported that the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, had collapsed and that the Mission's Chief, Hédi Annabi, his deputy, and the acting police commissioner were confirmed dead.[12][13] Elisabeth Byrs of the UN called it the worst disaster the United Nations has experienced because the organizational structures of the UN in Haiti and the Haitian government were destroyed.[14]

Contents

[hide]

Background

 

The island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is seismically active and has experienced significantly destructive tremors in the past. An earthquake struck in 1751, and another in 1770 when the island was under French control. According to French historian Moreau de Saint-Méry (1750–1819), "only one masonry building had not collapsed" in Port-au-Prince following the 18 October 1751 earthquake, but "the whole city collapsed" during the earthquake of 3 June 1770. Another earthquake destroyed the city of Cap-Haïtien and other towns in the northern part of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on 7 May 1842.[15] In 1946, a magnitude-8.0 earthquake struck the Dominican Republic and also shook Haiti, producing a tsunami that killed 1,790 people and injured many others.[16]

 

A 2006 earthquake hazard study by C. DeMets and M. Wiggins-Grandison noted that the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system could be at the end of its seismic cycle and forecast a worst-case scenario of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, similar in size to the 1692 Jamaica earthquake.[17] Paul Mann and a group including the 2006 study team presented a hazard assessment of the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system to the 18th Caribbean Geologic Conference in March 2008, noting the large strain (overall equivalent to a 7.2 Mw earthquake); the team recommended "high priority" historical geologic rupture studies, as the fault was fully locked and had recorded few earthquakes in the preceding 40 years.[18] An article published in Haiti's Le Matin newspaper in September 2008 cited comments by geologist Patrick Charles to the effect that there was a high risk of major seismic activity in Port-au-Prince.[19]

 

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere,[20] ranked 149th of 182 countries on the Human Development Index.[21] The Australian government's travel advisory site expressed concerns that Haitian emergency services would be unable to cope in the event of a major disaster;[22] and the country is considered "economically vulnerable" by the Food and Agriculture Organization.[23] The country is no stranger to natural disasters: it has been struck by multiple hurricanes, causing flooding and widespread damage, most recently in 2008 from Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gustav.

Geology

USGS intensity map.

 

The earthquake occurred inland, on 12 January 2010, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) WSW from Port-au-Prince at a depth of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) at 16:53 UTC-5[4] on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system.[24] Strong shaking with intensity VII–IX on the Modified Mercalli scale (MM) was recorded in Port-au-Prince and its suburbs. It was also felt in several surrounding countries and regions, including Cuba (MM III in Guantánamo), Jamaica (MM II in Kingston), Venezuela (MM II in Caracas), Puerto Rico (MM II–III in San Juan), and the bordering country of the Dominican Republic (MM III in Santo Domingo).[1][25]

Since the quake occurred under land rather than water, structures and people on the surface were directly exposed to the tremors, particularly since the fault was quite shallow.[26] The quake occurred in the vicinity of the northern boundary where the Caribbean tectonic plate shifts eastwards by about 20 mm per year relative to the North American plate. The strike-slip fault system in the region has two branches in Haiti, the Septentrional fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plaintain Garden fault in the south; seismic data suggests that the January 2010 quake was on the Enriquillo-Plaintain Garden fault, which had been locked solid for 250 years, gathering stress. The stress would ultimately have been relieved either by a large earthquake or a series of smaller ones.[27] The rupture of this Mw 7.0 earthquake was roughly 65 kilometres (40 mi) long with mean slip of 1.8 metres (5.9 ft).[28] Preliminary analysis of the slip distribution found amplitudes of up to about 4 metres (13 ft) using ground motion records from all over the world.[29][30]

 

The United States Geological Survey recorded six aftershocks in the two hours after the main earthquake of magnitudes approximately 5.9,[31] 5.5,[32] 5.1,[33] 4.8,[34] 4.5,[35] and 4.5.[36] Within the first nine hours 26 aftershocks of magnitude 4.2 or greater were recorded, with twelve of them magnitude 5.0 or greater.[37] According to a member of the USGS, about three million people would have been affected, based on the strength and location of the quake.

 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning after the quake,[38] but cancelled it shortly afterwards.[39]

[edit] Infrastructure damage

There was major damage to Port-au-Prince. The buildings of the finance ministry, the ministry of public works, the ministry of communication and culture, the Palace of Justice, the Superior Normal School, the National School of Administration, the Institut Aimé Césaire, Parliament, and Port-au-Prince Cathedral were damaged to varying degrees.[40][41][42] The National Palace was severely damaged.[43][44] The quake seriously damaged the control tower at Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport.[45]

 

There was significant damage to communications, and a Haitian diplomat has said that "communication is absolutely impossible … I've been trying to call my ministry and I cannot get through."[38] A hospital in Pétionville, a wealthy suburb of Port-au-Prince, collapsed from the earthquake.[46] The main prison in Port-au-Prince collapsed during the earthquake. Many prisoners escaped into the streets, and their whereabouts are unknown.[47] The roof of the facility reportedly collapsed and caught fire, and family members have been unable to find their incarcerated relatives.[48] In addition to the anticipated adverse effects on survivors' physical health due to infection and insufficiently treated injuries, mental health effects such as traumatic loss and bereavement, psychological trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder are expected among the people.

The headquarters of MINUSTAH at Christopher Hotel[12] was destroyed, as were offices of the World Bank.[49] The quake affected the three Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) medical facilities around Port-Au-Prince, causing one to collapse completely.[50][51][52] The building housing the offices of Citibank in Port-au-Prince was destroyed, and several employees remained missing.[53] Up to 200 guests at the collapsed Hôtel Montana in Port-au-Prince remain unaccounted for, and are presumed dead.[54]

 

As of 15 January 2010 (2010 -01-15)[update], reported damage to the Port-au-Prince seaport includes the collapse of cranes and containers into the water, structural damage to the pier, and an oil spill, rendering the facility unusable for immediate rescue operations; the Gonaives seaport, in the northern part of the country, remains operational.[55] The apparel industry, which accounts for two-thirds of Haiti's annual $350 million in exports to the United States, reported structural damage at manufacturing facilities in Haiti. American-based Hanesbrands Inc. reported that three of its four factories had been affected by the quake, with one facility substantially damaged. The Canadian clothing company Gildan Activewear reported that one of the three textile factories that produce their products had been severely damaged.[56]

Swamped cranes along the Port-au-Prince docks

 

The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that offices of Radio-Tele Ginen had been destroyed, several other stations, including Melodie FM, Radio Caraibes, Signal FM, and Radio Metropole, remained functioning. Journalism as a whole in Haiti was affected by the fact that many journalists had suffered personal losses and were unable to work.[57] The music studio Hercule, located in Pétionville, was destroyed and the studio’s owner Joubert Charles, one of the most prominent promoters of music in Haiti, died in the quake.[58][59][60]

 

Buildings shook in Santo Domingo, the capital of the neighboring Dominican Republic, but no major damage was reported there.[61]

Conditions in the aftermath

Assistance camp set up by the Brazilian Army

 

Through the nights following the earthquake, many people in Haiti slept in the streets, on sidewalks, in their cars, or in makeshift shanty towns either because their houses had been destroyed, or they feared standing structures would not withstand aftershocks. Even Haitian President René Préval was unsure of where he was going to sleep after his home was destroyed.[62] Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world, and construction standards are low; like many islands in the Caribbean the country has no building codes. Engineers have stated that it is unlikely many buildings would have stood through any kind of disaster. Structures are often raised wherever they can fit; some buildings were built on slopes with insufficient foundations or steel.[63] A representative of Catholic Relief Services has estimated that about two million Haitians live as squatters on land they do not own. The country also suffers from shortages of fuel and potable water even when not addressing times of disaster.[64]

 

Towns west of Port-au-Prince, such as Jacmel, Carrefour, Léogane, Petit-Goâve, and Gressier were reported to have extensive and perhaps catastrophic damage.[65] Furthermore they are isolated by debris blocking connecting roads and unable to receive supplies that are slowly getting into the capital. Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-moon estimated that fifty percent of the buildings in the affected regions were destroyed.[66] Towns in the eastern Dominican Republic began preparing on 15 January for tens of thousands of refugees, and by 16 January hospitals around the border had been filled to capacity with Haitians. The border was reinforced with Dominican soldiers, and the government of the Dominican Republic asserted that all Haitians who crossed the border for medical assistance would be allowed to stay only temporarily. A local governor stated, "We have a great desire and we will do everything humanly possible to help Haitian families. But we have our limitations with respect to food and medicine. We need the helping hand of other countries in the area."[67][68]

Haitian citizens have been congregating in open areas, both to minimize their aftershock vulnerability, and to provide easier access for relief workers.

 

President Préval and government ministers used police headquarters near the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport as their new base of operations, although their effectiveness was extremely limited. Several parliament members were still trapped in the Presidential Palace, and offices and records destroyed.[69] Some high-ranking government workers lost family members, or had to tend to wounded relatives. Although the president and his remaining cabinet met with U.N. planners each day, there remains confusion as to who is in charge and no single group has been organizing relief efforts as of 16 January.[70] The government handed over control of the airport to the United States to hasten and ease flight operations, made worse by the damaged air traffic control tower.[71]

 

Slow distribution of resources and the absence of any central authority in the days after the earthquake resulted in violence, as groups attempting to dispense food and other aid were attacked, including an attempted carjacking of aid vehicles.[72] Some frustrated with the lack of aid made roadblocks out of bodies.[73] Simultaneously, several times hundreds of women marched through the streets in peaceful processions, singing and clapping.[74] Inured by generations of political instability and corruption, many Haitians took the lack of authority in stride, using the Creole proverb "Grés kochon ki kwit kochon'" or "the pork has to cook by its own fat" to explain that they had to take care of themselves. In many neighborhoods, singing could be heard through the night and groups of men coordinated to act as security as groups of women attempted to take care of food and hygiene necessities.[75]

 

Casualties

Main article: Casualties of the 2010 Haiti earthquake

Brazilian aid worker Zilda Arns was killed in the earthquake.

 

Estimates of the number of dead range from 30,000 to 200,000.[76][7] The earthquake struck in the most populated area of the country and the International Red Cross has stated that as many as 3 million people have been affected by the quake.[6] The far majority of those killed were Haitian, while many non-Haitians from various countries also perished. A number of public figures died in the earthquake, including government officials, clergy members, musicians, and foreign civilian and military personnel working with the United Nations. One factor that compounded the number of casualties in the early days of the earthquake was a lack of medical and rescue infrastructure and personnel. Medical facilities had been badly damaged in the earthquake and both Haitian and foreign medical staff, police, and military personnel were casualties. Soon after the quake struck appeals for international aid were issued by Haitian government officials, including Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States.[77] Foreign governments and non-governments also assisted in the aid effort, but many of the injured in the initial days after the earthquake did not have access to health care and died.

 

While the overwhelming number of casualties were Haitian civilians, a number of prominent figures from Haiti and abroad died or were injured. Those killed include Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince,[78] and a number of individuals in the Haitian government, including Justice Minister Paul Denis and opposition leader Michel Gaillard;[79] and numerous prominent Haitian musicians.[59] At least 36 United Nations personnel working with United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) were confirmed dead and over 200 remained missing and presumably buried in the building rubble.[80] Many foreign civilians also died, including citizens of the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Peru,[81] Taiwan, Spain and the United Kingdom.[82] Among them was Brazilian pediatrician, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Zilda Arns.[83]

[edit] Response

Main article: Response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake

Main article: Response by national governments to the 2010 Haiti earthquake

 

Appeals for humanitarian aid were issued by the International Red Cross, the Salvation Army,[84] the United Nations[85] and president René Préval.[86] Ambassador Joseph and his nephew, singer Wyclef Jean,[87] who was called by Préval to become a "roving ambassador" for Haiti,[88] have also pleaded for donations.

A canine search-team from Los Angeles County Fire/Search and Rescue, California, USA is transported by the US Air Force to Haiti.

 

Many countries have responded to the appeals and launched fund-raising efforts, as well as sending search & rescue teams. The neighboring Dominican Republic was the first country to give aid to Haiti, easing tensions that have existed between the two countries since the 19th century.[77] The Dominican team sent food, bottled water and heavy machinery to remove the rubble.[89] The hospitals in Dominican Republic were made available, as well as the airport to receive aid that would be distributed to Haiti.[89] Personnel from the Dominican emergency team provide service to more than 2,000 injured and the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) helped to restore telephone services.[89] The Dominican Red Cross and the International Red Cross have been coordinating health relief services.[89] The Dominican Republic has also been a landing point for foreign correspondents who have come to cover the tragedy.[89] The government has sent eight mobile medical units along with 36 doctors including orthopedics, traumatologists, anesthesiologists, and surgeons. In addition, 39 trucks with canned food have been dispatched, along with 10 mobile kitchens and 110 cooks who can prepare 100,000 meals per day.[90]

 

Other nations from farther afield also sent personnel, medicines, materiel, and other aid to Haiti. From the Middle East, the government of Qatar sent a strategic transport aircraft (C-17), loaded with 50 tonnes of urgent relief materials and 26 members from the Qatari armed forces, the internal security force (Lekhwiya), police force and the Hamad Medical Corporation. The team will set up a field hospital and provide assistance in Port-au-Prince and other affected areas in Haiti.[91] A rescue team sent by the government of Israel established a field hospital near the United Nations building in Port-au-Prince. It began operations on the evening of 16 January 2010, and included specialized facilities to treat children, the elderly, and women in labor.[92]

US Navy heavy-lift helicopters ferry water from the Carl Vinson, 15 January

 

Elements of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division deployed on 15 January 2010 from Pope Air Force Base by US Air Force aircraft.[93] Military action in rescue and recovery efforts concentrated on safely bringing aid, according to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Ideas such as air dropping aid were dismissed early in planning for their problematic logistical issues.[94] The U.S. Navy also announced on 13 January 2010 that the hospital ship Comfort and amphibious helicopter carrier Bataan will be deployed to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts.[95] On 14 January 2010, the US Government announced a large relief fund effort for Haiti. United States President Barack Obama said America would give $100 million to the aid effort for the stricken Caribbean country and pledged that the people of Haiti "will not be forgotten".[96] Obama also sent an email to all members of the Organizing for America mailing list urging readers to help support relief efforts in Haiti.[97]

Urban Search and Rescue specialists from Fairfax County, Virginia, USA work at the Hotel Montana.

 

The International Red Cross has announced that it has run out of supplies in Haiti and has appealed for public donations.[98] Giving Children Hope has been working to get much-needed medicines and supplies on the ground.[99] Partners in Health (PIH) is the largest health care provider in rural Haiti; it oversees some 10 hospitals and clinics, all far from the capital and all still intact. PIH is currently serving the flow of patients from Port-au-Prince.[100]

 

Many in Miami's Haitian population of 110,000 anxiously waited for news as communications between relatives and friends were disrupted.[101][102] Several organizations began planning an airlift of several thousand orphaned children into South Florida on humanitarian visas, modeled after a similar effort with Cuban refugees in the 1960s named Pedro Pan.[103] The United States offered amnesty for Haitian illegal immigrants already in the U.S., granting them an 18 month period of not deporting or detaining them. People currently living in Haiti are not eligible to prevent a flood of illegal aliens.

 

MINUSTAH has over 9,000 uniformed peacekeepers deployed to the area;[104] most are searching for survivors at the headquarters.[105]

[edit] Rescue action

[edit] 12 January

 

People dug through rubble, rescuing survivors and recovering bodies. The bodies were laid out in the streets, some in piles. During the night, many people digging through the rubble used flashlights. The Argentine Air Force field mobile hospital, already deployed at Port-au-Prince, was the only medical facility still open.[106] Argentine helicopters from the United Nations force were helping evacuate the gravely injured people to Santo Domingo.[107]

[edit] 13 January

Two US Coast Guard cutters offshore of Haiti on 13 January 2010

 

Rescuers searched collapsed buildings for victims. The wounded were taken to hospital in ambulances, police pickup trucks, wheelbarrows, and improvised stretchers. Many hospitals collapsed: on 13 January only the Argentine military field hospital remained open in Port-au-Prince, and it was struggling to attend to the huge numbers of injured. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reported that at least two hospitals were still in good shape, and their doctors would begin treating about 500 people who needed emergency surgery.[51][52] Bodies of the victims were piled on the streets. Heavy equipment was needed to dig through the ruins; many people were still trapped in collapsed buildings.[108][109] A triage center was set up in a parking lot, but the wounded were forced to lie in medical tents to await treatment, due to the many patients, and water was scarce. In Pétionville, people used sledgehammers and their hands to dig through a collapsed commercial center.[52]

 

Some rescue teams, such as the ones from Cuba, arrived in Haiti and started their mission. The Peruvian government sent rescue teams, dogs and 50 tons of food transported by two Peruvian Air Force airplanes. Peruvian companies were providing food donations and other basic aid.[110] However, the scale of rescue and relief efforts was yet to meet the need.[111] Because of difficulties reaching some affected areas, some rescue teams tried to enter Haiti through the Dominican Republic.[112] The United States Coast Guard deployed helicopters and several aircraft and cutters to the region to aid in relief work[113] and perform reconnaissance flights over Haiti, which aided in assessing the worst damaged areas.[114] The Coast Guard Cutter Forward arrived in the waters off Port-au-Prince at about 8 a.m. on Wednesday, and together with a Maritime Intelligence Support Team was able to assess some of the damage caused to the port. The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk also arrived in the coastal waters of Haiti on Wednesday afternoon.

 

The International Committee of the Red Cross set up a special website to facilitate family contacts, which allowed people in Haiti and abroad to register the names of relatives whom they wanted to contact. It incorporated responses to those queries as they became available.[115] Catholic Relief Services, which has worked in Haiti for 50 years, prepared food and other aid to help those affected, committing US $5 million to help survivors.[116]

[edit] 14 January

Damage to the Port-au-Prince seaport, 13 January 2010

 

Medical aid for the Haiti earthquake became a military-style operation. At least 20 countries provided manpower, supplies or financial aid to Haiti, while the most immediate foreign assistance was being provided by military and humanitarian contingents from neighboring Dominican Republic.[117] Dominican president Leonel Fernández visited Haiti to set up an emergency plan for assistance with president René Préval, to include reestablishing communications, rescuing the victims, burying the dead, clearing the rubble, reestablishing the supplies for electricity and water and coordinating the Dominican army with the United Nations Stabilization Mission for the relief operations.[118] Colombia's military also contributed to the relief effort by sending relief flights.[119]

 

Staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross already in the country distributed medical items to hospitals and two ICRC-chartered aircraft carrying specialized staff and 40 tonnes of relief supplies – mainly medical items – left Geneva for the island. At the same time, the organization made its forensic expertise available to organizations attempting to recover and identify the dead.[120]

USN Seahawk helicopters arriving from rescue vessels

 

Communication and infrastructure problems were worsened by the destruction. Streets were clogged with debris and rubble, making it nearly impossible to distribute food, water, temporary shelter, and medical supplies that had been delivered throughout the day by international charities and governments to the airport. Ships were also unable to render aid because the port facilities had been too damaged.[121] The Port-au-Prince morgue became overwhelmed with thousands of dead bodies that were laid outside on the streets and sidewalks. Aid workers began to concentrate on identification and disposal of corpses.[122] Concerns were also raised by a representative from Oxfam that aid workers may be overwhelmed with rampant crime from gangs who had taken over the country, which prompted the UN to intervene to restore some order.[64]

OpenStreetMap map of Port-au-Prince and Carrefour made almost entirely by volunteers after the earthquake. (link to larger version)

 

Social networking became a significant response to the earthquake as Twitter and Facebook spread messages and pleas to assist; "Haiti", "Help Haiti", and "Red Cross" were among the most popular topics on Twitter.[123] However, Haitians updating their Facebook statuses were blocked for repeatedly sending messages to tell people that they and their friends or family members were alive, which triggered spam guards on the website.[124] The American Red Cross generated $7 million within 24 hours by offering an option to text message $10 donations by cell phone, setting a record for mobile donating.[125] The OpenStreetMap community responded by greatly improving the level of mapping available for the area using post-earthquake satellite photography[126] provided by GeoEye.[127][128]

[edit] 15 January

 

A reported 9,000 corpses were cleared off the street by Haitian government crews, and buried in mass graves, with thousands more awaiting burial in the streets and outside the morgue. Search and rescue teams from eight nations were employed to attempt to find survivors still trapped in buildings.[129][130] Transportation into the affected areas remained problematic, as a bottleneck blocked aid arriving from the Port-au-Prince airport. Some organizations landed in Santo Domingo and drove into Haiti on rugged dirt roads. Pilots were told that any flights coming in to Port-au-Prince should expect to circle the airport for at least an hour, and that no jet fuel was available.[131] Cuba lifted airspace restrictions to allow U.S. airplanes to save time transporting critically wounded Haitians to the U.S.[132]

Brazilian soldiers give medical aid to a Haitian woman.

 

Médecins Sans Frontières reported that the need for medical services at their two hospitals was "overwhelming".[131] Although it had been badly damaged, the Hotel Villa Creole in Port-au-Prince was transformed into a hospital and media center; journalists used the drained swimming pool as an operating base, and Hope for Haiti and the International Medical Corps started a makeshift clinic for the wounded.[133] The Dominican Institute of Communications set up a cell tower using a satellite link, to replace towers damaged by the quake.[134]

 

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada will consider fast-tracking immigration to help Haitian refugees.[135] In the U.S., Haitians were granted Temporary Protected Status after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called the earthquake "a disaster of historic proportions". Temporary protected status will allow about 100,000 Haitians in the United States illegally to stay for 18 months, will stop the current deportations of 30,000 more, but will not apply to Haitians outside the U.S.[136][137]

The Ushahidi website tracking messages in Haiti

 

The U.N. World Food Programme denied that its warehouses in the Haitian capital had been looted, contrary to earlier erroneous reports.[138] A Russian search-and-rescue team said the looting and general insecurity were forcing them to suspend their efforts after nightfall.[139] Aid organizations were urged by the Brazilian military to add security details. The destruction of the UN base by the earthquake added to problems keeping order; the UN Stabilization Force was in Haiti before the earthquake to assist with emergency relief efforts, necessary because the country has a significant gang presence.[140]

 

The staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Haiti distributed medical aid, assessing water needs and prepared for the arrival of several Emergency Response Units sent by Red Cross societies from across the world. These include a field hospital, mobile health units and water and sanitation units. The ICRC began working with the Federation and the Haitian Red Cross to enable these arriving specialists to be operational.[141]

 

The tracking website Ushahidi joined social networking efforts, as messages from multiple sites were collected to assist Haitians still trapped or to get word to family members of survivors.[142]

Sunrise on 15 January 2010 as USS Carl Vinson begins helicopter relief operations; this MH-53E is the largest type in the US inventory.

 

At dawn on the 15th, USS Carl Vinson and her escort group began deploying their helicopters, after sailing from the US at full speed. During her first day on-scene, she transferred about 35,000 gallons of fresh water to shore; she has the overall capability to distill 400,000 gallons daily. Carl Vinson will also provide medical, air transport, and food preparation facilities; she offloaded combat aircraft in order to provide more space for relief supplies and an increased complement of 19 helicopters. The carrier is transporting 600,000 emergency food rations and 100,000 ten-liter water containers; 20,000 containers of water were distributed on the 15th.[143][144] The amphibious helicopter carrier USS Bataan has also been deployed to Haiti, along with three large dock landing ships and two survey and salvage vessels, intending to create a "sea base" for the rescue effort.[145][146][147]

[edit] 16 January

 

French Navy vessel Francis Garnier left Martinique on the 15th carrying 60 Army personnel, land vehicles, and excavators. She stopped over at Guadeloupe to load further resources, and departed for Haiti on the 16th.[148] French cooperation minister Alain Joyandet had to liaise with the US embassador in Paris after a French airplane carrying a field hospital was prevented from landing at Port-au-Prince airport.[149]

 

Canadian Forces announced that its jet transports would be scheduled to complete two relief flights per day, while their slower C-130's will make three flights every two days; for this operation Canadian response personnel have been primarily selected from French-speaking regions.[150]

MINUSTAH troops meet a relief flight on 16 January 2010

 

The hospital ship USNS Comfort left the Port of Baltimore on 16 January bound for Haiti.[151] On 16 January, the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) headed toward Haiti, part of the US Navy's enlarging sea base directed at implementing disaster relief.[152] Salvage ship USNS Grasp is being dispatched with divers whose task is to assess the Port-au-Prince seaport damage.[153]

 

By 18 January, approximately 10,000 US troops are expected to be off the shores of Haiti, while MINUSTAH retains primary responsibility for security in Port-au-Prince, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.[154] The US Dept. of Defense has created Joint Task Force Haiti to coordinate the Pentagon's relief efforts.[145] Port-au-Prince's airport, now operated by the US military, can currently handle 90 flights a day, far short of what is needed; other distribution problems have become apparent, but despite the tension there are signs that aid is reaching those in need.[155] Paratroopers from the US 82nd Airborne Division set up a base for distributing water and food as the number of dead remains unknown.[14]

 

International Committee of the Red Cross emergency experts assessed the capacity of the city's main medical facilities, the water and sanitation infrastructure of Port-au-Prince's Cité Soleil neighbourhood, and the assistance needs of those living in makeshift camps. ICRC teams also provided more non-food assistance to several local hospitals and places of detention. [156]

 

A Haitian citizen gave birth to a healthy baby boy while on board USCGC Tahoma during the afternoon of the 16th; the cutter was transporting wounded Haitians from Port-au-Prince to the still-functional medical facilities of Cap-Haitien, to the north.[157]

 

A minister for the Haitian government reported on 16 January that nearly 20,000 bodies had been recovered by government crews.[158] In addition, some reports indicated total deaths may approach 200,000 with a further 250,000 injuries; other estimates showed as many as one million Haitians are now homeless.[159]

[edit] Recovery

Haitians await the opening of a supply depot, 16 January 2010

 

U.S. President Barack Obama announced that former presidents Bill Clinton, who also acts as the U.N. special envoy to Haiti, and George W. Bush will coordinate efforts to raise funds for Haiti's recovery. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Haiti on 16 January to survey the damage and stated that $48 million has been raised already in the U.S. to help Haiti recover.[160] Following the meeting with Secretary Clinton, President Préval stated that the highest priorities in Haiti's recovery are establishing a working government, clearing roads, and ensuring the streets are cleared of bodies and sanitary conditions return.[161]

 

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden stated on 16 January that "[barack Obama] does not view this as a humanitarian mission with a life cycle of a month. This will still be on our radar screen long after it's off the crawler at CNN. This is going to be a long slog."[162] Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that France, the United States, Brazil and Canada, would hold a conference to organize the reconstruction of Haiti.[163]

 

The President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, offered interested Haitians free land in Senegal, up to an entire region depending on how many respond to the offer.[164]

From Wikipedia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...