A look at the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath:
The Disaster
Homes lay in ruins due to an earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck just before 5 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2010, in southern Haiti, destroying more than 100,000 buildings and damaging 200,000 in densely packed Port-au-Prince and surrounding towns. Haiti’s government put the death toll at 316,000, while some estimates were lower. An exact accounting was impossible given the widespread devastation. Many Haitian officials and police officers died in the quake, leaving the government paralyzed. The United Nations, which has had peacekeepers in the country since 2004, lost 102 staffers in the disaster, the largest single loss of life in its history. In the immediate aftermath, more than 1.5 million Haitians were living in crowded camps, often sheltered by little more than plastic tarps.
The Recovery
A woman holding a rosary, prays during a Mass marking the 5th anniversary of the January 2010 earthquake, during a service held next to the damaged National Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Jan. 12, 2015. Somber Haitians gathered early Monday to remember the devastating earthquake that left much of the capital and surrounding area in ruins in one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
More than $12.4 billion in humanitarian and development aid and debt relief was pledged by more than 50 countries and international agencies, with at least 80 percent of that disbursed, according to the United Nations. Much of the aid was channeled through contractors and humanitarian groups rather than directly to Haiti’s government. The U.S., the biggest donor, has largely sought to rebuild infrastructure and improve the health system and economy, hoping to improve conditions that made Haiti particularly vulnerable to disaster. Venezuela, another major donor, also funded numerous infrastructure projects. Shantytowns and tent camps have gradually dwindled as people moved back to old homes or found new ones, often with rent subsidies provided by international donors. Some landowners and public agencies also evicted people by force.
The Future
Haiti’s President Michel Martelly, center, and Haiti’s first lady Sophia Martelly, place a floral arrangement during the memorial service for victims of the January 2010 earthquake, at Titanyen, a mass burial site north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Jan. 12, 2015. Somber Haitians gathered early Monday to remember the devastating earthquake that left much of the capital and surrounding area in ruins in one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
There are still about 80,000 people in camps, and the government predicts they will be gone by the middle of this year. There are few visible signs of the quake itself and most badly damaged buildings have been razed. Parts of the capital are bustling with new construction and hundreds of schools have been rebuilt. But Haiti is still a deeply poor nation, with an official unemployment rate of about 40 percent and the World Banks says more than 6 million out of roughly 10.4 million inhabitants live under the national poverty line of $2.44 per day.
Click any images to launch the Haiti Earthquake Anniversary gallery.
People walk through fire and rubble in the market area in Port-au-Prince, Monday, Jan. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Haitians surge the gates at a food distribution point in the Cite Soleil neighborhood in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A photograph of earthquake victim Leslie Polynice lays in the rubble of a home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday leaving thousands dead and many displaced. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
A man walks in a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti Tuesday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
French military rescuers work to secure a structure at the collapsed Montana Hotel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. A powerful earthquake struck Haiti Tuesday. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
An earthquake survivor drinks juice dripping from a stolen bag in Port-au-Prince, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)
A young earthquake survivor holds a bowl as he waits in line for high protein biscuits from the World Food Program in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Ten-year-old Angie Dumee holds the hand of her father, Pierre Dumee, while being treated at a make-shift hospital in the street for injuries sustained during Tuesday’s earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
A boy looks through an opening in the rubble of his home in the 31 Delmar neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
In this picture taken Jan. 8, 2013, a cross memorializing the victims of the 2010 earthquake who are buried at the spot in mass graves is silhouetted against the setting sun in Titanyen, north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
A man sweeps an exposed tiled area of the earthquake-damaged Santa Ana Catholic church, where he now lives, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
Sebastian Lamoth, 8, right, plays at his home with his cousin Joseph Rood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday Jan. 10, 2011. Lamoth’s leg was amputated due to an injury suffered in the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A woman holds photos of relatives who were killed in the 2010 earthquake as she prays with other faithful as they visit areas of the city where people were killed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday Jan. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Relatives of those who died in the 2010 earthquake attend a memorial service at the mass grave site in Titanyen, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday Jan. 12, 2012. Haitians are marking the second anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake with church services throughout the country on what is a national holiday of remembrance. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A woman who lost both her arms from injuries sustained in the 2010 earthquake and a group carrying funeral wreaths, arrive at the mass grave site in Titanyen to attend a memorial service for people who died in the 2010 earthquake, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday Jan. 12, 2012. Haitians are marking the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake with church services throughout the country on what is a national holiday of remembrance. The government has said the disaster killed 316,000 people and displaced 1.5 million. More than 500,000 are still in temporary settlement camps. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
View the Haiti Earthquake Anniversary collection
Opening text from AP news story, A Look At The Haiti Earthquake on the 5-Year Anniversary.
Spotlight is the blog of AP Images, the world’s largest collection of historical and contemporary photos. AP Images provides instant access to AP’s iconic photos and adds new content every minute of every day from every corner of the world, making it an essential source of photos and graphics for professional image buyers and commercial customers. Whether your needs are for editorial, commercial, or personal use, AP Images has the content and the expert sales team to fulfill your image requirements. Visit apimages.com to learn more.
Written content on this site is not created by the editorial department of AP, unless otherwise noted.
AP Images on Twitter | AP Images on Facebook | AP Images on Google+
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
AP Images Blog 