Haïti: Earthquake

From ACAPS, published on 16 August 2021

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A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on 14 August at 8:30 am local time. The earthquake occurred 13km to the south-southeast of Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, in the department of Nippes, at a depth of 10km. Most affected departments include Sud, Grand’Anse, and Nippes, with Les Cayes, Aquin, Cavaillon, Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes, and Anse-a-Veau arrondissements known to be particularly affected and exposed to severe shaking (level VIII on the modified Mercalli intensity scale). The impact of the earthquake was felt in all departments of the country, including the capital Port-au-Prince, around 125km to the east.

Impact of the crisis

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on 14 August at 8:30 am local time. The earthquake occurred 13km to the south-southeast of Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, in the department of Nippes, at a depth of 10km (CDEMA 14/08/2021). Most affected departments include Sud, Grand’Anse, and Nippes, with Les Cayes, Aquin, Cavaillon, Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes, and Anse-a-Veau arrondissements1 known to be particularly affected and exposed to severe shaking (level VIII on the modified Mercalli intensity scale). The impact of the earthquake was felt in all departments of the country, including the capital Port-au-Prince, around 125km to the east (USGS 14/08/2021 d; ADRA 15/08/2021; USGS 14/08/2021 c).

More than 14,000 families are known to have been affected across Sud, Grand’Anse, and Nippes departments as at 16 August. Numbers are expected to increase, as around one million people were exposed to very strong shaking (level VII and above on the modified Mercalli intensity scale) and over 230,000 people are living within 15km from the epicentre (ACTalliance 16/08/2021, GDACS 14/08/2021; USGS 14/08/2021 b; WFP 14/08/2021). Around 1,300 people were reported dead and over 5,000 injured as at 16 August, but the numbers are expected to increase. Most of the fatalities were reported in the Sud department, where at least 1054 people died, followed by the Nippes department (at least 122 fatalities) and the Grand’Anse department (at least 119 fatalities). At least two deaths were reported in the Nord-Ouest department (ACTalliance 16/08/2021, CDEMA 15/08/2021; Government of Haiti 14/08/2021 a). Many people are still missing or trapped under the rubble.

Humanitarian Constraints

• Haiti has high humanitarian constraints. Access has been deteriorating because of the escalating insecurity since the beginning of 2021, both for people in need and for humanitarian organisations. The southern peninsula, including areas affected by the earthquake, is a hotspot for gang-related violence and had been very difficult to reach already two months prior to the earthquake because of increasing violence and insecurity (CARE 15/08/2021; OCHA 15/08/2021).

• Damage to telecommunication networks delays the transmission of information for humanitarian organisations.

• Roads were damaged, adding a constraint to humanitarian access. (IFRC 14/08/2021). Route 7, the highway that connects Jérémie with Les Cayes, were blocked by a landslide triggered by the earthquake (AP 15/08/2021).

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