The 10-Year Anniversary of Haiti’s Devastating Earthquake: Has Anything Changed?

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake, followed by more than fifty aftershocks, hit the Caribbean island of Haiti, on January 12, 2010. Hundreds of thousands of people died, and the country was left in ruins. 

The international community came together to provide aid to the disaster-struck community. There was an outpouring of compassion for Haiti which culminated in more than $10 billion in donations to the government for reconstruction efforts. 

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, Haitians were filled with sorrow, but also hope because of the love and support they were receiving from the world. Unfortunately, 10 years later, that sentiment has vanished. 

Haiti’s economy and infrastructure are at an extremely weak point and demonstrate few signs of improvement. The material devastation of the earthquake was incredibly detrimental to Haiti, as more than 30,000 commercial buildings were in such bad shape that they required demolition. The earthquake leveled many of Haiti’s most important buildings, and the seat of government, the National Palace, has still not been rebuilt. Haiti’s major universities were also directly affected by the earthquake, causing major setbacks in education for Haitian youth. 

The country had no time to rest after the tragedy, with new and increasing problems following in succession. Just a few months after the earthquake, a cholera outbreak hit Port-au-Prince, followed by Hurricane Tomas. Then, in 2016, Hurricane Matthew killed about one thousand Haitians and caused irreversible damage to Haiti’s already impaired infrastructure and agricultural industry.  

Additionally, despite the incredible amount of international aid, Haiti has always been a country plagued by economic problems. It gained independence by paying billions in compensation, and a preponderance of corrupt officials keeps its economy from recovery. One instance of corruption, the PetroCaribe scandal, is a particular contributor to unrest and instability. It began as a strategic oil alliance between Venezuela and Haiti in 2006, which allowed Haiti to defer oil payments, but it resulted in thousands of dollars of embezzled government funds. Citizens protested in the streets in 2019 against the improper use of money that was needed for social programs. They also called for the resignation of President Jovenel Moïse, despite his claims that he has been fighting against corruption. 
These intensifying domestic issues, coupled with the little reconstruction that has actually taken place, has kept Haiti in a stagnant position for the past 10 years. However, citizens are now taking initiative. Anti-corruption protests last year, coupled with individual citizens building more permanent structures for themselves and their families, might just be the slow but steady process that Haiti requires in order to fully recover.

Protestors burn tires in Haiti, in 2019. SOurce: Wikimedia COmmons.