Status: 08/15/2021 01:05 a.m.
Collapsed buildings, full hospitals: an earthquake in Haiti killed more than 300 people and caused great damage. US President Biden offered help to the crisis-ridden state.
According to official figures, more than 300 people were killed in the devastating earthquake in Haiti. At least 1800 were injured, said the civil protection authority. Numerous people are still missing.
The agency’s director, Jerry Chandler, told the AP news agency that some places had been completely razed to the ground and that hospitals could no longer accept the many injured, especially in the coastal town of Les Cayes, where around 126,000 people live. “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.
Interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was visiting the affected area. He declared a month-long emergency. He appealed to the population to “show solidarity” and not panic.
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 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.
Xenia Böttcher, ARD Mexico City, on the severe earthquake in southern Haiti
tagesschau24 6:00 p.m., August 14, 2021
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.
The aid organization Save the Children expressed great concern for the children in Haiti. The organization’s staff on site reported “terrible devastation”. Even if it will take days to capture the full extent of the damage, it is already clear that Haiti is in the midst of a humanitarian emergency.
Hardly any state structures
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. The difficult political situation could also endanger the work of aid workers.
Haiti is repeatedly hit by natural disasters. In January 2010, more than 220,000 people were killed in an earthquake. In 2016, a hurricane killed hundreds of people. Around 4.4 million of the approximately eleven million Haitians live below the poverty line.
USA wants to help Haiti, Biden approves emergency aid
Arthur Landwehr, ARD Washington, August 15, 2021 12:27 am