The most devastating earthquake to hit the country in 120 years has left Haiti destroyed. The poorest country in the western hemisphere is desperately trying to come to terms with the fact that millions of people are now crying out for help from around the world. The Haitian prime minister, Jean-Max Bellerive said that the death toll could be as much as 100,000 although the actual total seems to be anyone’s guess. Rene Garcia Preval, the country’s president has said he thinks the figure is around 50,000 but another official has claimed that he believes the figure is closer to half a million.
The earthquake which registered 7.0 on the Richter scale hit Haiti at dusk. Experts say that the carnage was caused because the quake was shallow and because its epicenter was just ten miles from the capital of Port-au-Prince. The capital has an estimated population of around 1 million people. Nothing seems to have been spared with the Presidential Palace destroyed and the city’s cathedral collapsed and in flames. The United Nations building has also come down as has a hospital. Heidi Annabi, chief of the U.N. mission to Haiti has been confirmed as one of the dead and many other U.N. staff are still to be accounted for. Ban Ki-Moon the United Nations Secretary General has described the results of the earthquake as a catastrophe and is urging nations around the world to come to Haiti’s aid. Many are presently answering that call by sending in rescue teams.
