Haiti earthquake cripples country

Devasted homes in Haiti

With the death toll rumoured to be over 50,000, Haiti has been left devastated after a 7.0-magnitude quake, the worst in two centuries, struck on Tuesday, just 15km (10 miles) south-west of Port-au-Prince.

As the world rallies and sends relief to the Caribbean country, rescue workers are already on scene racing against time to find survivors under the rubble. The main problem is due to Haiti's already impoverished state, there is no coordinated national rescue plan and little to no heavy lifting equipment, with rescuers using their bare hands to find those trapped under the rubble.

Devastated infrastructure

With most of Port-au-Prince without food, clean water and proper medical care, massive aid relief is being dispatched to the capital spearheaded by the US who have already dispatched ships, helicopters, transport planes and a 2000-member Marine unit. China, France and the UK have also sent specialist search and rescue units, with teams leaving on the first available flights merely hours after the quake struck. The 50-strong Chinese rescue team landed with sniffer dogs accompanied by other specialised searching equipment.

Described as "one of the great humanitarian emergencies in the history of the Americas" by former President Bill Clinton, President Obama has already pledged that the "people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States" in an "aggressive" aid campaign.

As such, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier has been dispatched along with the USS Bataan, carrying a Marine expeditionary unit.

Due to the incredible amount of damage and aid relief, the Pentagon has said that there is a possibility of dispatching thousands of marines to the country to help in the relief effort.

As countries rally to send aid to Haiti, the World Bank has stated that it will fund $100m of emergency aid, while the World Food Programme is working on supplying 15,000 tonnes of food and the Red Cross has begun a $10m appeal.

Port-au-Prince

The earthquake couldn't have struck in a more devastating place for the nation's capital. Only 10 miles from the city and only 6 miles underground, the 'shallow quake' meant there was more violent shaking on the surface, causing a majority of the city's buildings to buckle. Even the more hardened buildings such as the United Nations headquarters and the presidential palace were destroyed, with 100 UN workers missing and another 40 unaccounted for around the city.

With a population of close to two million people and aftershocks still striking the region, it is expected that the death toll will rise, with a Haitian senator claiming the dead could number half a million. What is clear is that time is of the essence and as such, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is urging the international community "to come to Haiti's aid in this hour of need".

Earthquake map from BBC News.

Click here to donate to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

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