Earthquake in Haiti

 A massive earthquake occurred in Haiti in 2010. The focus of the earthquake was 13 kilometers below the surface of the earth. The earthquake occurred at shallow depth - this means that the seismic waves have to travel a smaller distance through the earth to reach the surface to maintain more of its energy. It was a catastrophic magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale with an epicenter close to the town of Leogane, approximately 25 kilometers west of Port-au-prince.The earthquake struck in the most densely populated area of the country, in the poorest country of the Western Hemisphere.  Haiti is positioned to the North of the Caribbean plate, on a transform plate boundary with the North American Plate. The earthquake was caused due to the friction caused by the westward movement of the North American Plate that had been building up pressure between the two plates until an inevitable earthquake erupted, releasing the pressure and causing the earthquake in 2010. The damage caused by this earthquake was exacerbating as an estimated three million people were affected by this earthquake, with death toll estimates from 100,000 to about 160,000 people. Death tolls were even worse due to the poorly constructed buildings and infrastructure in Haiti contributing to the pre-existing poverty and poor housing conditions caused by a history of national debt, unfair trade policies by other countries, and foreign intervention into national affairs. The government of Haiti estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged and notable landmark buildings such as the Presidential Palace, the main jail and the National Assembly Building were significantly damaged or destroyed. Communication systems, air, land, and sea transport facilities, hospitals, and electrical networks had been damaged by the earthquake, which hampered rescue and aid efforts; confusion over who was in charge, air traffic congestion, and problems with prioritization of flights further disrupted early relief work and resulted in absolute mayhem. Haitis' agriculture industry which is what they relied on mainly for food and money was absolutely compromised as crops were destroyed, animals were killed, setting the economy further back and Haiti into further debt and poverty.