How can haiti protect itself from earthquakes

IFRC, 14 Aug DGPC also reports at least dead and around 1, more injured, figures likely to increase significantly in the coming hours and days as more are still missing. OCHA, 15 Aug According to Haitian Civil Protection, more than 37, homes have been destroyed and 46, have sustained damages, leaving thousands homeless and creating pressing shelter and WASH needs. OCHA, 16 Aug The death toll following the earthquake of 14 August has raised to 2, people while are still missing, and more than 12, have been injured, as reported by the Haitian Civil Protection.

At least 52, houses have been destroyed and more than 77, damaged. Videos shared on social media show extensive street flooding. Hundreds of landslides occurred in the impacted area. The most significant landslide blocked the major national highway between Jeremie and Les Cayes, hampering travel for rescue and aid efforts.

TD Grace triggered additional landslides as destabilized soil got wet. The compounded effects of an ongoing political crisis, socio-economic challenges, food insecurity and gang violence continue to greatly worsen an already precarious humanitarian situation. Some 4. An estimated , children suffer from moderate-to-severe acute malnutrition. This increases their challenges in recovering from the disasters.

Haiti has also been overrun by gang violence and plagued by civil unrest, food insecurity, low education rates and cholera. As of Aug. Testing is not and has not been a priority, so these numbers are likely severe underestimations. Haiti did not receive any vaccines until July 13 , just one month before the earthquake.

As a result, as of Sept. NGOs supporting response in the country are also implementing vaccination programs. These circumstances will make the response and recovery from this disaster incredibly challenging in the coming days. As of Sept. There are still people missing. There is a particular concern for the wellbeing of children , especially girls who the earthquake and subsequent hurricane have orphaned. The New Humanitarian reports that aid is slowly reaching those who need it, but is being challenged by gang activity, increasing cargo costs and other challenges.

Response in rural areas, particularly on much needed livelihood inputs, is challenged by access constraints, creating potential risks for a rural exodus. Beyond the delivery of humanitarian assistance, focus must immediately be placed on scaling up early recovery and supporting livelihood activities. Around , people have lost access to safe drinking water services in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Gang-related activities intensifies along national road 2, threatening to once again cut off access to the southern peninsula from Port-au-Prince, while fuel shortages and insecurity disrupt the distribution of life-saving relief supplies. Thousands of people are now homeless, and there is an urgent need for shelters, which is hindered by the amount of damage and the pandemic.

About , people require safe water, a high priority because Haiti only recently resolved the cholera epidemic. Unaccompanied — often orphaned — children are also a significant concern. There are about hospitals or health centers in the area of impact. It is reported that four were destroyed, and 32 experienced structural damage; 12 of those are extremely damaged. After the earthquake, people waited outside the hospitals to access the care they needed.

These hospitals were and continue to be short on supplies, including equipment and medicine, because of the volume of need. The most critically injured were transferred to hospitals in Port-au-Prince or other regions of the country. Schools were scheduled to reopen on Sept. Toggle navigation Language:. Subscribe Audio Hub. Is Haiti better prepared for disasters, nine years on from the earthquake?

An aerial view of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince. Humanitarian Aid. The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies — Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery guidelines on safer school construction is an excellent example of these types of strategies. Still, global funding for disaster risk reduction is woefully low. This is not enough to meet the needs of disaster prevention and preparedness.

The number of natural disasters has increased, with current averages of per year in compared to the average of in the early s. Indeed, with internal improvements and assistance from the office of the U. Special Envoy to Haiti, amongst others, the situation in Haiti is improving and a disaster risk reduction plan is in the works.