According to statistics from the Haitian Civil Defense Department on the 18th, the total number of victims caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti has risen to 1,941, and more than 9,900 others have been injured.
According to Reuters, as the earthquake caused severe damage to several hospitals in the disaster area, doctors were forced to set up makeshift tents outdoors to rescue the wounded. The medical system in the disaster-stricken area in Haiti is currently in an overloaded state. The hospital is overcrowded. Some injured patients lie in the corridors for treatment, and some even died because they were unable to receive treatment in time.
On the afternoon of the 16th, the tropical depression “Grace” landed in the country, and the heavy rainfall it brought caused floods and landslides. These disasters have caused great obstacles to the disaster-stricken area. Rescuers were unable to reach the disaster-stricken area in time due to the blockage of roads. Part of the rescue work was also suspended for one day due to inclement weather. Some people in the disaster area took the risk of aftershocks and hid indoors in order to avoid violent storms.
Bruno Maes, UNICEF representative in Haiti, expressed concern about the current situation. He said that countless Haitian families have lost everything due to the earthquake, and now “their feet are soaked in the water because of the flood.” He said that more than 500,000 Haitian children have difficulty accessing shelter, safe water and medical care.
Haitian economist Etzer Emile believes that the earthquake will almost certainly cause the already troubled southwestern part of Haiti into longer-term poverty.
On the 17th, the United Nations announced an allocation of 8 million U.S. dollars, and the European Union announced an emergency allocation of 3 million euros to provide relief to the affected people in Haiti. Latin American countries such as Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, and Panama have shipped food, medicine and other materials to Haiti. The United States also sent search and rescue teams to assist the disaster-stricken areas.
In memory of the victims of the earthquake, Haiti has entered a three-day national mourning since the 17th. According to other sources, the life order in the capital Port-au-Prince has basically returned to normal, and there are no reports of casualties among overseas Chinese in the earthquake.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Information Network, at 7:29 on the 14th local time, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurred in the province of Nips in western Haiti. The epicenter is about 150 kilometers away from Port-au-Prince and the focal depth is about 10 kilometers.
In 2010, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake in Haiti caused more than 300,000 deaths. Part of the post-disaster reconstruction work has not yet been completed.
