Haiti Earthquake

In January of 2010, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Haiti killed around 230,000 people and injured another 300,000. 1.5 million people, which is around 20% of Haiti's population, were displaced from their homes in and around Port-au-Prince.

Effects on Economy:
Haiti was already the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and 80% of its population was already below the poverty line before the devastating earthquake.

- $7.8-8.5 billion in total damage
- Economic output shrunk by 5.1%
- Post-earthquake, countries cancelled any debt Haiti owed them

Effects on Infrastructure:

- Destroyed main airport, ports, and paved roads
- 106,000 homes lost, and another 188,383 damaged
- 60% of government buildings ruined
- 80% of government schools destroyed/damaged

Effects on Local Business:

In 2009, Haiti was the 17th largest apparel supplier to the US, exporting $424 million worth of goods (90% of which was apparel). Because the main airport and many ports were destroyed, the people who made the clothes and those who exported them were out of work, and the country didn't have money coming in from those exports. Also, 2/5 of people in Haiti are subsistence farmers, meaning they farm locally. That business would also be destroyed because farmers lost all of their crops, land, and equipment.

Effect on Resources:

Because of the earthquake, food supplies ran out. The tragedy hit between harvests, so winter crops weren't picked yet, while summer ones were nearly gone.


As of January of 2015, the 1.5 million people that were displaced in 2010 reduced to just thousands. However, the Port-au-Prince presidential palace and cathedral have not been rebuilt. $13.5 billion were donated to Haiti by donor nations and private charities. The nation is basically back to how it was before, but more should have been improved given how much money they had to work with. Haiti struggles with a cholera epidemic and political turmoil.

  


Sources: 
https://www.thebalance.com/haiti-earthquake-facts-damage-effects-on-economy-3305660
http://www.eenews.net/stories/86545
http://haitiearthquake.web.unc.edu/economic-impact-of-the-earthquake/
http://www.usnews.com/news/photos/2015/01/09/photos-haitis-recovery-5-years-after-devastating-earthquake
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/01/12/376138864/5-years-after-haiti-s-earthquake-why-aren-t-things-better
http://s4.thingpic.com/images/eo/AANWYQ8LMzRv2hEc6MmTCV3Y.jpeg
https://media1.britannica.com/eb-media/29/145429-004-5962943D.jpg