Affected Development Case Study - Hurricane Mitch

Question 1

When did Hurricane Mitch occur?

Answer 1

1998

Question 2

Which two countries were worst hit?

Answer 2

Honduras and Nicaragua

Question 3

How many people were killed in Nicaragua?

Answer 3

3000

Question 4

How many animals died in Nicaragua?

Answer 4

50,000

Question 5

What percentage of roads were unusable in Nicaragua?

Answer 5

70%

Question 6

How many houses in Nicaragua were destroyed?

Answer 6

23,9000, and 17,600 damaged

Question 7

How many schools and health centres were damaged or destroyed?

Answer 7

340 schools and 90 health centres

Question 8

How many people were killed in Honduras?

Answer 8

7000

Question 9

What percentage of Honduras’ crops were destroyed?

Answer 9

70%

Question 10

What percentage of transport infrastructure was severely damaged in Honduras?

Answer 10

70-80%

Question 11

How many houses in Honduras were destroyed?

Answer 11

35,000 and 50,000 damaged

Question 12

What percentage of schools were destroyed?

Answer 12

20%

Question 13

How was healthcare in Honduras affected?

Answer 13

117 health centre and 6 hospitals were destroyed

Question 14

How did the hurricane affect Nicaragua’s GDP?

Answer 14

It only grew by 4% in 1998, much less than expected, and its growth slowed after the hurricane

Question 15

How were exports from Nicaragua affected?

Answer 15

Exports of rice and corn went don because crops had been damaged. Therefore, people earnt less money and the government had less to spend on development

Question 16

How much did the damage in Nicaragua cost?

Answer 16

$1.2 billion, taking money away from development

Question 17

How was the education of children in Nicaragua affected?

Answer 17

The number of children working increased by 8.1%, so they had a lower quality of life and a worse chance of getting a job in the future

Question 18

How was Honduras’ GDP affected?

Answer 18

27% of the country’s GDP was from agriculture in 1998, which fell to just 18% after the hurricane, reducing the quality of life for those in agriculture

Question 19

How much were repairs estimated to cost in Honduras?

Answer 19

$439 million, for homes, schools and infrastructure

Question 20

How much development did the Honduran President claim had been destroyed?

Answer 20

50 years of progress