Haiti Earthquake – A Tragic Consequence.

View of New York City from the 14th Floor of Baruch Vertical Campus
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Haiti Earthquake – A Tragic Consequence

In January 12, 2010 Haiti experienced its worst natural disaster by having an earthquake of 7.3 and having its epicenter in the capital called Puerto Principe where it was felt at a depth of 10 km. Surrounding countries like Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and, obviously, the Dominican Republic felt it and as a result, it caused a lot of fear, sadness and uncertainty. Unfortunately, although I, Rosa Saltos, was not fully aware of the situation since I was only 4-5 years old; My mother, Emely Fernandez, and my grandmother, Sandra Moncion, have been able to compile certain feelings and experiences of the event since our country, the Dominican Republic, had to welcome Haiti with open arms and the pain and sadness was mutual between both nations.

Haiti Earthquake 2010 – The Worst Natural Disaster in Haiti.

Although Haiti faced a loss of 220,000 lives and over 300,000 injuries according to Oxfam International, the neighboring country, the Dominican Republic, experienced great fear and uncertainty because both countries share the same island where the epicenter occurred. Emely, a woman from the city of Santiago De Los Caballeros (a city 178 km away from the Haitian border), recounts her experiences and fears during that catastrophe.

Monument of Santiago. Source: Wikipedia.

“I felt panic when I felt the first earthquake” I took my two children with me and I got out of the apartment, all the neighbors were out”.

Emely Fernandez
The downtown core shows the damage after an earthquake measuring 7 plus on the Richter scale rocked Port au Prince Haiti just before 5 pm yesterday, January 12, 2009.

“There was a lot of News regarding the Earthquake, everyone was panic, all the schools were teaching all the protocols needed for any similar situation. Rosa (my children) was scared and panic at the age of 5, I was an adult with 36 years old and more controlled but I felt her panic”

Emely Fernandez
Map of the La Hispaniola Island. In the left there is Haiti and in the right is the Dominican Republic. Source: BBC.

“When the earthquake happened, everyone was panic and they believed it was here but a lot of houses got broken because the sacudón was too strong, we were too sad because a lot of children were not able to study anymore and they family died. even the presidencial palace in Haiti got damages and the Dominican Republic was the first country in help their brother Haiti”.

Sandra Moncion.

The political situation in the Dominican Republic was stable at that time, even though the country was not in their best economic peak; the government, including the former president, which was in that time Leonel Fernandez promised by saying “we will do everything in our power to help Haiti” according to El Pais and was the first political worldwide figure to visit the affected nation after the earthquake.

Leonel Fernandez, former president of Dominican Republic.

Furthermore, even though Dominican Republic and Haiti faces struggles and some political and territorial issues and “fights”, at the end of the day we have to contribute each other and find the peace between nations. This sad and horrible situation made us understand that no matter what, we are always part of the island and we are brothers.

Jaibon, Laguna Salda – Valverde Dominican Republic in 2010.

“Although my hometown is a generally poor area, we received our Haitian neighbors in the most humble way, some built wooden houses near our other houses, we provided food and later we all cooperated to get ahead.”

Sandra Moncion

By the way, I don’t remember much about the earthquake, but I remember that years later, when I went to visit my family in the countryside, I remember that we had several little Haitian friends and we spent the whole day playing with them; I remember that they lived in a little wooden house which had no floor, I didn’t understand why…

Haitian homeless family established in the Dominican Republic. Source: Manos Unidas.

In conclusion, the reality was that the Haiti was shaken by a high and dangerous magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale, causing the surrounding areas in the Caribbean to also feel its impact. The worst-hit, obviously, was the Dominican Republic, the neighboring country located west of the island, which still provides assistance to Haiti due to the devastating consequences this caused. Haiti may be a poor country, but because of the earthquake, its economy collapsed, dragging along more than a decade of that sad event.

– Rosa A. Saltos

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

  • Araya Vlogs. (2023, November 22). Haití: Caos, Pandillas y Crisis | Haití (1/5) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab7eNcLJJwE
  • British Broadcasting Corporation. (2010, January 13). BBC Mundo – Internacional – “Se ve mucha gente herida en las calles.”https://www.bbc.com/mundo/internacional/2010/01/100113_0705_testimonio_haiti_pea
  • Terremoto en Haití – nuestra respuesta | Oxfam International. (2022, May 25). Oxfam International. https://www.oxfam.org/es/terremoto-en-haiti-nuestra-respuesta#
  • Wikipedia contributors. (2022, May 24). Monumento de Santiago. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monumento_de_Santiago
  • Campo, I., & Campo, I. (2010, January 19). «Haremos todo lo que esté a nuestro alcance por Haití». El País. https://elpais.com/diario/2010/01/19/internacional/1263855609_850215.html
  • Ivetteromero. (2012, March 4). Dominican Republic’s Leonel Fernández calls the country a “Small New York.” Repeating Islands. https://repeatingislands.com/2012/03/04/dominican-republics-leonel-fernandez-calls-the-country-a-small-new-york/