The Haiti Earthquake: An Urban Solution

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Author(s)
Young, P. & Henderson, E.
Publication language
English
Pages
16pp
Date published
01 Jan 2010
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Food and nutrition, Gender, Health, Poverty, Urban
Countries
Haiti
Organisations
Oxfam

On 12th of January 2010, an earthquake measuring 7 on
the Richter scale struck Haiti. Approximately 3.5 million
people lived in areas directly affected by the earthquake.
An estimated 220,000 people died during and immediately
after the earthquake and a further 1.5 million people were
displaced. The earthquake dramatically increased the levels
of unemployment, with productive assets lost or damaged
and infrastructure shattered. The earthquake resulted in a
significant increase in household food insecurity and loss of
livelihoods.
As a result of the earthquake, poverty levels were estimated
to have risen by 30-50% in Port au Prince (PaP) and by
80% in the commune of Carrefour. Across the city, people
struggled to afford to eat, as food became less affordable
and less accessible. Early assessments have indicated
that people resorted to a range of coping strategies, from
reducing the number of meals and borrowing money, to
selling assets and engaging in sex work.