P1 SECTION A Challenges of Natural Hazards: HAITI

Question 1

HAITI : BACKGROUND AND LOCATION

Answer 1

• Caribbean country (LIC-one of the poorest)
• HDI: 0.4
• Literacy rate: 61%
• GNI: $1140
• Sits on the boundary along conservative plate

Question 2

HAITI : THE EVENT

Answer 2

• 12th January 2010
• Epicenter 25km from capital
• Magnitude 7
• Buildings made of breeze block-not secure
• Lack of planning and protection (bad economic state)

Question 3

HAITI - PRIMARY EFFECTS

Answer 3

• 300k deaths
• 250k homes collapsed
• 30 000 other buildings (e.g. president’s palace)
• Comm links damaged
• 50+ hospitals and
• 1300 schools destroyed
• Main prison destroyed: 4000 inmates escape

Question 4

HAITI - SECONDARY EFFECTS (SOCIAL)

Answer 4

• 1 million made homeless
• 3 million affected
• Chlorea outbreak (600 000 causes + 8000 deaths)

Question 5

HAITI : SECONDARY EFFECTS (ECONOMIC)

Answer 5

• Clothing company (2/3 of exports) facing damage to facilities
• 1 in 5 lost their jobs
• Widespread looting in Port-au-Prince
• $7 billion in damages

Question 6

HAITI : SHORT TERM RESPONSE

Answer 6

• NGOs set temp. camps (Oxfam, Red cross)
• EU donated $330 mil in aid
• 115 00 tents
• 1 million tarpaulin shelters
• 4.3 million provided food rations in following weeks

Question 7

HAITI : LONG TERM RESPONSES

Answer 7

• 1 million without homes after a year
• 98% of roads still blocked after 6 months
• Oxfam ran drills (planning)
• Oxfam set microcredit schemes (helps business owners)
• Support 70% of population (jobless) with cash/food for work projects
• World Bank waived country’s debt for 5 years
• Temp, camps became permanent (Corail, annexe-de-la-Marie)