With a million Haitians homeless and disease spreading, the earthquake-shattered island is threatened by other natural forces.
Aid agencies are warning of an imminent health crisis in Haiti, as the onset of the rainy season brings fears of outbreaks of waterborne diseases in Port-au-Prince's squalid refugee camps.
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As the tremors and the NGOs recede, Haitians continue the fight against colonialism that their ancestors began 220 years ago by Reed Lindsay (The Observer)
Nearly two weeks have passed since the earthquake, and journalists are beginning to leave. The obvious stories have been done and, for some, things are becoming monotonous.
Read more »Do you remember the story of this Italian scientist who predicted the L'Aquila earthquake weeks before it actualluy occured (in April 2009). He was muzzled by the authorities which considered that his prediction had no scientific foundation.
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January 25, 2010 - ROME (Reuters) : Italy's top disaster expert has slammed the U.S. response to the Haiti earthquake, criticizing its lack of organization and the reliance on soldiers with no training in humanitarian operations. Guido Bertolaso, head of Italy's civil protection service who received international acclaim for his handling of an Italian earthquake last April, described "a pathetic situation which could have been much better organized."
Bertolaso, who arrived in Haiti on Friday, told RAI state television that Washington had made "a show of force," but military officers coordinating the emergency had no links with the humanitarian groups in the Caribbean island state.
Read more »From Thursday, January 14th through Sunday, January 17th, the online poker site Full Tilt Poker organized Aid for Haiti tournaments.
During these 4 days, 22,640 players registered to these special tournaments for a total of $264,912.01 in tournament fees and this amount was then matched by Full Tilt Poker to reach a grand total of $529,824.02 that will be donated to the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF.
Read more »January 20, 2010 - PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - A new earthquake shook the devastated Haitian capital on Wednesday morning, creating panic among survivors of last week's devastating quake camped out in the streets but apparently causing no new destruction.
The powerful 6.1 magnitude aftershock at daybreak sent shrieking Haitians running away from buildings and walls in the shattered city fearing a repeat of the magnitude 7 earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people eight days ago.
"It felt really strong. Each aftershock is frightening. We feel it right here (pointing at his stomach) because after last Tuesday you never know how strong it is going to be," said Lenis Batiste, camped out on some grass with two children.
Read more »January 13, 2010 - Poorest country in the western hemisphere is ill equipped to deal with natural disasters.
The earthquake that has hit Haiti, raising fears that thousands have been killed, is the latest in a long line of natural disasters to befall a country ill equipped to deal with such events.
Hurricanes and flooding are perennial concerns for the poorest country in the western hemisphere, which has time and again been dependent on foreign aid in emergencies.
In 1963 hurricane Flora, the sixth deadliest Atlantic hurricane in history, devastated the island. The US weather bureau estimated the death toll at 5,000 and the cost of damage to property and crops at between $125m and $180m.
Read more »January 13, 2010 - A massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake has struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti.
The extent of the devastation is still unclear but there are fears thousands of people may have died.
Haiti's worst quake in two centuries hit south of the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, wrecking the presidential palace, UN HQ and other buildings.
A "large number" of UN personnel were reported missing by the organisation. Many people have spent the night outside amid fears of more aftershocks.
Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti's envoy to the US said the cost of the damage could run into billions.
A number of nations, including the US, UK and Venezuela, are gearing up to send aid.
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