7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Haiti

Just over a month after the assassination of their president, and 11 years after their last disastrous earthquake, Haiti was struck by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

This caused obvious extreme damage to the physical infrastructure of the country itself, but even more damage to the safety and wellbeing of the inhabitants of the island. Numbers currently report just over 300 deaths and 1800 Haitians injured by the eathquake. With a government in complete disarray and a geological foundation lacking stability, how can a country be expected to find its footing again? This is the question that the leaders of Haiti will need to face. For now, it is immediately unclear who those leaders will be. This poses a clear issue, especially when one factors in the growing issues of gang violence and widespread poverty across the country. Although international nonprofit organizations like UNICEF are and will continue to offer aid to Haiti, the effectiveness of this outside support is somewhat contingent on the Haitian government ability rally and ready themselves to confront the crisis. Having never fully recovered from the devastating 2010 earthquake, the Haitain economy cannot reasonably be expected to sustain the rebuilding, rehousing, and medical care that will be required in the aftermath of the earthquake. While it would seem that fiscal contributions to the country would carry great weight, without a clear leadership system, it is unclear to whom or where to actually donate the money.

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