After a severe earthquake: almost 1,300 dead in Haiti

The number of victims rises after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. In the meantime, civil protection assumes almost 1,300 dead. Homes, schools, hospitals and churches had collapsed in the Caribbean country.

The death toll rose to almost 1,300 after the severe earthquake in Haiti. In the meantime, 1297 bodies have been recovered, said the civil defense. The number of people injured in the quake on Saturday rose from at least 2,800 to more than 5,700.

The 7.2 tremors wreaked havoc in the country. Countless buildings collapsed, including a multi-story hotel in the town of Les Cayes. Meanwhile, the tropical storm “Grace” is approaching the bitterly poor Caribbean country. It should hit land on Monday evening with heavy rain and should make the rescue and search work even more difficult.

The director of the civil protection agency, Jerry Chandler, said some places had been completely razed to the ground and hospitals could no longer accept the many injured, especially in the coastal town of Les Cayes, which is home to around 126,000 people. “The most important thing now is to pull as many survivors as possible out of the rubble.” Chandler said the need was tremendous. The International Red Cross is already working to care for the injured.

USA offers help – Federal Foreign Office warns

US President Joe Biden announced aid for the victims of the disaster: “The United States remains a close and constant friend to the Haitian people, and we will be there even after this tragedy,” said a statement from the US President. “We express our deepest condolences to all those who have lost a loved one or whose homes and businesses have been destroyed,” said Biden.

The Federal Foreign Office called for people to avoid the earthquake area: “Numerous deaths and injuries as well as severe damage to buildings and infrastructure must be expected. Strong aftershocks will continue to occur.” Travelers should avoid the affected area, it said in the travel and safety information. Travel to Haiti has been strongly discouraged for a long time.

Difficult communication

The epicenter of the magnitude 7.2 quake was twelve kilometers from the municipality of Saint-Luis-du-Sud, and the southern peninsula of Haiti in particular was affected by the quake. The tremors were felt all over Haiti as far as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

Numerous cell phone videos show people running into the streets in a panic, countless collapsed buildings can be seen. The full extent of the damage is currently not foreseeable – rescue workers speak of difficult communication with the affected regions.

Lessons from the 2010 earthquake

The government now wants to avoid the mistakes of 2010: In the earthquake at the time, which hit the capital Port-au-Prince in particular, more than 220,000 people were killed. Now the people who can no longer go back to their homes should not be housed in collective camps, but as close as possible to their place of residence or with family members.

In Haiti there are hardly any functioning state structures to provide rapid aid. The poor Caribbean country is in a serious political crisis. On July 7th, President Jovenel Moise was assassinated and the country is run by a transitional government. Criminal gangs also create a climate of insecurity. Around 4.4 million of the approximately eleven million Haitians live below the poverty line.

The difficult political situation could also endanger the work of aid workers. “I think, more than the weak institutions, it is the poor infrastructure and the lack of resources that really affect the country’s ability to react to the situation,” says Annalisa Lombardo of Welthungerhilfe.

Haiti is repeatedly hit by natural disasters. After the devastating January 2010 earthquake, a hurricane killed hundreds of people in 2016. Tropical storm “Grace” is likely to reach Haiti on Monday or Tuesday, which could make the current situation even worse.