GEO Haiti 2010

GEO HAITI • 2010
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Geomorphological phenomena such as
earthquakes have also left immense damages.
The January 12, 2010, earthquake affected the
Western, Southeast and Nippes Provinces. Near
the end of February, figures showed that 220,000
lives had been lost, 311,000 persons had been
injured and 869 were still missing. Of the survivors,
1,237,032 have taken shelter in makeshift camps,
in or around Port-au-Prince, and 511,405 outside
of Port-au-Prince.
As a result, centres such as Port-au-Prince, Jacmel,
Jacmel Valley, Leogane, Petit Goave, Grand Goave,
Gressier, Carrefour, Kenskoff, Ganthier, Miragoane
and Tomazeau were affected, and landslides
occurred along Highway 2 and the road leading
to Jacmel between Grand Goave and Petit Goave.
Several hospitals and public buildings were either
destroyed or greatly damaged.
Natural disasters also increase the level of poverty
in the country, as the following data demonstrate:
in 1964 for example, Tropical Cyclone Flora may
have caused US$180 million in damages, while
Hurricane Gordon, between US$80 million and
US$180 million in 1994 (ibid). The reconstruction
of the areas hit by the January 12 earthquake is
estimated at more than US$1,44 billion.
Figure 90: Makeshift camp in Port-au-Prince
(West Province), two months after the
earthquake on January 12, 2010
Source: Antonio Perera, 2020