Great Earthquakes In Diverse Places
Earthquake Jolts Northwest Haiti
17 July, 2010
A magnitude-4.3 earthquake today jolted northwest Haiti, reported the
U.S. Geological Survey. According to the report the light tremor shook
the sea-floor 15 miles west of the coastal city of Gonaives in the
early morning. The quake did not damage anything. Talking to reporters,
Gonaives residents said that they felt the quake but no one was injured
and buildings were not affected.
It may be recalled that a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake had hit
Haiti six months ago, killing more than 230,000 people and leaving
hundreds and thousands homeless. The quake had destroyed most of the
capital, Port-au-Prince. Massive relief efforts were launched by the
governments, donors and the U.N. agencies to help the Haitian people
shortly after the quake, believed to be one of the worst in history.
Around $5.3 billion has been pledged by global community as aid and
only one-tenth has been materialized so far. The U.S. has pledged to
contribute $1.15 billion. But the aid amount is not used properly so
far due to bureaucratic and political bottlenecks in the Caribbean
nation, which has been reeling under poverty for years now.
Despite several relief programmes, only 28,000 of the displaced have
found permanent shelter so far. Some people are still living on a
highway median strip. Only 300 trucks have been employed to remove the
rubble, which is a little disappointing because it would take at least
three years with 1,000 trucks remove the rubble. Experts maintained
that an internationally funded cleanup and rebuilding effort could
prove to the ultimate economic stimulus for the quake-hit Haitian.