Reasons for high death rate in Haiti

Why did so many die in the Haiti Earthquake?

Physical
High magnitude event (7.0 on Richter scale)
Epicentre close to largest city (just 16 kms to S W) which housed almost third of Haiti’s population.
Focus was very shallow - only 8 kms below surface. This would lead to greater impact at surface
Time - 1653 local time on a Tuesday - people at work or on way home from work, so down-town Port-au-Prince at high risk.
Dozens of aftershocks - some as high as 5.9 and 5.5 - which brought down the weakened buildings.
200 years of stored energy (refer theory of strike-fault tectonics)
Sitting on a major strike-slip fault (Enriquillo fault)
Some unstable ground leading to landslides.
Hurricanes (4 in 2008) weakened those buildings not destroyed and led to 800,000 having to live in cheap housing which would be less earthquake resistant.

Economic
Poverty - 66% earn less than £1 day so many can only live in shoddily built homes.
Poorest country in western hemisphere by far so very little to invest in earthquake proof buildings
60% buildings badly built and so far from being earthquake proof.
Airport too small to cope with aid and relief from outside agencies which hampered rescue
Hurricanes (4 in 2008) weakened those buildings not destroyed and led to 800,000 having to live in cheap housing which would be less earthquake resistant.
Blocked roads and phone lines down hampered rescue so leading to more deaths

Socio-political
Having suffered with disasters previously (flooding 2004, mudslides 2004, 4 hurricanes 2008) perceived they were due for a disaster free time! Therefore ill-prepared.
No major earthquake for 200 years and therefore far removed from consciousness and so not prepared.
Political instability - corrupt government and little investment in improving buildings and roads.
Many decision-makers & aid workers (permanently in Haiti) killed - so chaotic initial response
Blocked roads and phone lines down hampered rescue so leading to more deaths
Hurricane damage in Genaives led to migration to Port-au-Prince so causing high density living conditions which raised the chance of more deaths.

The reasons for the huge number of deaths is very complex and a combination of physical, economic and socio-political factors as shown in the previous slides

Reasons for high death rate in Haiti

by kevinrchapman on May 05, 2010

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