The world has focused on the earthquake in the Republic of Haiti which occurred on January 12. The news has been delivered through TV programs, newspapers, and the Internet. The Haitians shout for help. Now, let's investigate the cause of this earthquake, the situation Haiti confronts, and aid by the world.
Haiti is located in the Caribbean Sea near the Republic of Cuba. The size of this island country is about an eighth of the Korean Peninsula, and Haiti is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. On January 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the capital city, Port-au-Prince. This earthquake occurred 15km to the southwest and 8km underground at 4:43 p.m. according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Magnitude 7.0 can cause serious damage over large areas. This earthquake occurred because of the crash between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. As Haiti is located on a fault line where these two plates meet, this earthquake had a great impact on Haiti.
The earthquake caused a great deal of damage to the area. Many buildings including the presidential palace, an assembly hall, hospitals, hotels, and houses collapsed, and the United Nations Command was also destroyed. Parks were full of survivors because their homes were destroyed. Many dead bodies lay scattered on the streets because there were no places to lay dead bodies. The first lady, Elisabeth Preval, exclaimed, "This is a catastrophe. I'm stepping over dead bodies. A lot of people are buried under buildings. The general hospital has collapsed. We need support. We need help. We need engineers."
The whole world is participating in helping Haiti. Many countries and international organizations are supporting Haiti by providing food, medical supplies, tents, and financial aid. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), supporting funds from many countries reached 2.02 billion dollars by January 28. Many superstars around the world held concerts to collect money for charity. In addition, the IMF, France, Venezuela, and other countries forgave Haiti's debts.
Korea is also helping Haiti. The Korean government pledged 10 million dollars in aid to Haiti. Korea's companies and many citizens are also participating in helping Haiti. Korea Electric Power Corporation, Yuhan Kimberly, and other companies donated tens of millions of won. Citizens are donating through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children, and other fund-raising organizations. Medical teams are also supporting Haiti. Many medical staff of various hospitals have gone to Haiti and treated Haitians. Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center's staff also went to Haiti to help them.
Although about 2 months have passed since then, Haitians still have trouble in various fields. They need material things and our interest. We should have abiding interest in Haiti and help them in every way.
