Haiti Earthquake Essay

On August 24th, 1992 in the state of Florida, complete destruction was the end result of Hurricane Andrew. A Hurricane that began in the Atlantic ocean at 20mph. That is almost twice the strength that normal hurricanes begin at. The peak strength of Hurricane Andrew was so strong that devices were not able to measure the winds. An approximation of the force of the winds was said to be up to 200mph. Andrew destroyed about 28,000 homes, damaged 100,000 homes and left 250,000 people homeless along with 30 billion dollars in damage and almost 30 deaths. Hurricane Andrew did not end its devastation in Florida, soon it went to Louisiana causing more damage. (Fig.1)

NEW YORK—Starkies-Davis announced today a total donation of $8 million to organizations providing direct help to victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Starkies-Davis clients generated $6 million through global trading commissions

Though the earthquake happened quickly, the lasting impact and trauma remained. In an article from the Wall Street Journal, Luhnow and Dugan stated that following the event many people went searching for psychological support and aid instead of physical (2010). After having buildings tumble and fall onto people, many suffered from PTSD and survivors guilt; children were the most emotionally traumatized, and there was a fundamental lack of aid for facing psychological traumas endured by so many (Luhnow & Dugan, 2010). As a society, an increase in crime and violence is on the rise; Haitians had no defined structure in communities, and most established norms

Earthquakes have afflicted the world since its inception. The sudden release of energy from volcanoes or displacing of earth plates can result in disasters of extreme magnitude. These usually naturally occurring phenomenon have been responsible from wiping out entire towns throughout history and until today continue to produce major loss of life and infrastructure. It can take years for a city or country to recover from a major event of this kind and when a third world country is involved, the result is usually exponentially worse than in a developed country. In the past decades Japan, Chile and Haiti have suffered the devastation an earthquake produces. This document will concentrate in Haiti, a small country in the Caribbean. On

On January twelfth 2010, a deadly earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit the coast of Port au prince, Haiti for 35 seconds, killing around 200,000 and leaving approximately to 1.5 million of the population homeless including kids who became orphans and vice versa in a matter of less than a minute. Before the earthquake, the way of life was not as bad as portrayed back at home, most of the news broadcasted in the mainstream media were exaggerated news, negative light and unfair tales to make Haiti look inferior.

The United States interest in Haiti, as mentioned above, began a huge increase in the first decade of the twentieth century. The extent of U. S. economic penetration was not as great as that of France and Germany, but by 1910 it controlled sixty percent of Haiti’s import industry. Unfortunately, the Haitian banking system did not follow this path and was, at this time, "perilously close to domination by European interests." (Langley, 1982, 70) In an effort to gain more control over Haitian economic affairs, the United States engaged in a battle with France and Germany over the Banque Nationale. Two banks from the U. S. attempted to obtain control of the bank but lost out to a German bank, which proceeded to ally itself

Out of all nations that publish water sanitation statistics, Haiti is the only country in which there are more individuals today without clean water than there were over twenty years ago (Gelting, Bliss, Patrick, Lockhart, & Handzel, 2013, p. 665). This is largely due to the water crisis occurring in Haiti over the last century. Haiti’s struggles can be derived from the nation’s inability to withstand and recover from natural disasters, economic instability, societal wealth discrepancy, and a cholera outbreak. These differing facets can all be analyzed through the natural, social, and political perspectives in order to demonstrate the severity of the Haitian water crisis, the failure of current attempts at resolution, and the need for further

Haiti was once the first black independent republic in the world and the richest island in the Caribbean. Today Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest countries in the world. What could have happened to Haiti in almost two hundred years of history? The country experienced repeated civil war and foreign intervention. Haiti is not isolated from the international world. Thus, it was not out of concern for ordinary Haitians that the United States intervened in Haiti. It was out of concern for profit and stability within the United States' own backyard. The purpose of this paper is to show the negative aspect that the United States had played in the government of Haiti.

Haiti is a beautiful Caribbean country that has had more than its fair share of hardship. A culture of strength and perseverance is evident from the moment one arrives and it only feels stronger the further one travels from Port au Prince. The people are of African descent, with a strong French influence creating a uniquely mixed culture that is rare in the western hemisphere. The business climate is such that there are very few foreign businesses or joint ventures in Haiti and although there are many historic reasons for that, there now sits immense opportunity. First-mover advantage is only an advantage if the first-mover is successful. A firm in the initial stages of market research into Haiti will be drawn to the dream of

Most of Haiti's problems start with the natural disasters such as the earthquakes and the hurricanes. The junior scholastic notes that the hurricane Mathews hit Haiti last October carrying winds of 145 miles per hour. This hurricane carried away almost everything in its path. It killed 1000 and left 175000 people home less, mentions the junior scholastic. Meanwhile the earthquake was no different, the junior scholastic states that the earthquake of 2010 killed 316000 and displaced 1.5 million people.The earthquake and hurricane are only some natural disasters that have hit Haiti. Haiti has faced a lot more because of its location.

Haiti is the second largest Caribbean Island. It occupies a third of the western part of the island it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti is also made up of several islands that surround the main territory. The capital is Port-au-Prince. It rains between November and March in the North of the island and between May and October in the South. “Once covered by forest, the country has been heavily logged for wood and fuel and to clear land for farming, and is now largely deforested.” Haiti is divided into “nine administrative departments.” Besides the capital, other important cities are Cap-Haitien and Gonaives.  “Haiti is the most densely populated country in Latin America and has the lowest per

To improve after a natural disaster such as an earthquake, recovery takes a lot out of the government, the people, and the allied countries. When an unexpected major earthquake hit Haiti, a country in the Caribbean, in 2010, at least 200,000 to 316,000 deaths occurred. The many deaths, displaced people, and destroyed buildings left Haiti in ruins. The government and the people were filled with dreadful sorrows as these truths about a ruined Haiti came to light. Immediately after this disaster, allied countries such as the United States and Canada stepped in to pay for search parties and repairing Haiti, physically and emotionally. Even with the support of allied countries and the government, the development of Haiti is still in need of assistance. Six years later, after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, the handouts and help from allied countries have not been enough to create a fully developed economy and efficient government.

On January 12, 2010 on of the world’s deadliest earthquakes struck Haiti. In his book, Humanitarian Aftershocks in Haiti, Mark Schuller analyzes the presence of humanitarian aid agencies following the disaster. He discusses the impacts the aid had on the environment, development and globalization of Haiti.

Haiti has long been known for its major export of Haitian migrants in search of a better way of life. It is an exodus that goes back several decades, however with recent times the numbers have increased dramatically. In fact, that numbers of Haitians fleeing Haiti in the early 1990's far exceeds the numbers recorded in earlier years. Between 1972- 1979, some 8,000- 10,000 Haitians arrived in the United States. Compare this number with the 14,443 Haitians interdicted between September 30, 1991 - January 1, 1992. By early 1994, this number totaled over 41,000 (Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Haiti, 1994). Economic deprivation has always been the predominant influence for the migrating of Haitians, yet in the

In late August, Tropical Storm Isaac hit Haiti with rains and winds causing flooding and mudslides. Though the tropical storm did not cause widespread damage as initially feared, it was still a large obstacle for a nation still recovering.