The 2010 Haiti earthquake was the strongest to hit the country in over 200 years. It was caused by slippage along the boundary between the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates under Haiti. The earthquake killed over 220,000 people, injured 300,000, and left 1.3 million homeless in Haiti, which was already prone to natural disasters and in poverty. International aid and rescue efforts were launched by neighboring countries, non-profits, and states around the world to help address the massive damage and humanitarian crisis caused by the earthquake.

1. HAITI QUAKE (2010) CASE STUDY
Prepared by Alison Shilpakar

2. OVERVIEW OF HAITI
• Haiti is part of a large Caribbean island
called Hispaniola.
• Population : 9.7 million
• Port-au-Prince : 2.4 million
• 80% of economic activity in PAP
• Very prone to Natural disasters
(Hurricanes, floods)
• Violent political history

3. 2010 EARTHQUAKE
Epicenter : 25 km west of Port-au-Prince
Strongest earthquake that Haiti has experienced in more than 200 years

4. TECTONIC BACKGROUND
• The Caribbean islands are on their own separate plate that is
one of the smaller tectonic plates of the earths crust.
• It is surrounded on three sides by the much larger North and
South American plates, both of which are moving
approximately westwards with respect to the Caribbean
plate at around 2-3 centimeters a year
• On the eastern edge of the plate, the boundary runs
perpendicular to the direction of relative plate motion, so
there is compression and subduction.
• However, as the boundary curves around to form the
northern boundary of the Caribbean plate, it starts to run
parallel to the direction of relative plate motion, making
strike-slip faulting along E-W trending faults the most likely
expression of deformation in this region. This is exactly
what the Haitian quake appears to record.

5. CAUSE OF THE EARTHQUAKE
Haiti lies right on the boundary of the
Caribbean and North American plates.
There was slippage along conservative
plate boundary that runs through Haiti.

6. CASUALTIES
Social impacts of the earthquake
• 3 million people affected.
• Over 220,000 deaths.
• 300,000 injured.
• 1.3 million made homeless.
• Several hospitals collapsed.

7. Economic impacts
• 30,000 commercial buildings
collapsed
• 4600 schools damage
• UN Headquarters collapse
• Businesses destroyed
• Damage to the main clothing
industry
• Airport and port damaged

9. HAITI BEFORE AND AFTER THE QUAKE

10. RESPONSE TO THE EARTHQUAKE
• Neighboring Dominican Republic
provided emergency water and medical
supplies
• Emergency rescue teams from Iceland
• There were 13 charities involved including
The British Red Cross
• Airdrops – ready to eat meals and
water, high energy biscuits
• Floating airport
• Inflatable hospital, tents, Medical
supplies

14. Aids from different countries
• Australia: $9.3 million aid package
• Brazil: Aircraft delivering water and food, medicine, equipment, and a Search and
rescue team with sniffer dogs.
• Israel: Two plane loads of aid and rescue staff of 240, including 40 doctors and
nurses to set up a field hospital capable of serving 500 people a day.
• Switzerland: A rescue from Dominican Republic and a plane carrying 40-50 tons
of aid
• India: $1 million in support
• Venezuela: doctors, firefighters, and rescue workers
• Sweden: $850,000, tents, water purification equipment, medical aid, and a team to
rebuild the U.N.’s demolished headquarters.

15. Why Haiti's quake toll higher ?
Poverty is what ultimately killed most people
No evaluation is made of seismic risk in constructing buildings
Building codes are not written, and even if they do exist they are difficult, or
impossible, to enforce.
Weak building materials and poor construction standards
Nevertheless, those countries most at risk of seismic tragedy are not simply
those on tectonic plate boundaries, but also those with the least money to
spend on protecting themselves.

16. SOURCES / REFERENCES
Shultz J.M., Marcelin L.H., Espinel Z., Madanes S.B., Allen A., Neria Y. (2013)
Haiti Earthquake 2010: Psychosocial Impacts. In: Bobrowsky P.T. (eds)
Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series.
Springer, Dordrecht.
Edition.cnn.com
csmonitor.com
Worldvision.org