IntroductionOn January 12, 2010, an earthquake 24 km southwest of Port-au-Prince devastated the population of Haiti. The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.0, with numerous aftershocks following the initial earthquake. The damage was so cataclysmic that it caused numerous casualties, around 300,000 people were injured and more than a million were left homeless. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and is still struggling to rebuild. (Haiti earthquake poster, USGS Newsroom)How it was causedThe earthquake occurred on a known fault line between the conservative boundaries of the North American and Caribbean plates. The North American plate is moving westward while the Caribbean plate is moving eastward. As the plates slide past each other, the pressure increases and is released evenly in the form of an earthquake. In the Caribbean region, earthquakes do not usually occur, but they are not uncommon. This is called a transformation because the plates rub against each other. It lasted 30 seconds. The last major earthquake in this region dates back to the 18th century. This means that the pressure has been building since then and on January 12 the pressure was released. The fault line is the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault. Stress has been accumulating for about 250 years. Faults are usually where earthquakes occur. (Thompson, Harris). Cause of the earthquake The earthquake was caused by a strike-slip fault. A strike-slip fault occurs when the rupture is a near-vertical movement. During an earthquake, they slide over each other. (Tap-slip error) Why it was so damaging The earthquake in Haiti wasn't the worst people have experienced, the main reason we're there..... . middle of paper... ...there was no warning system like Japan's that could have saved the three lives lost by the tsunami. to rebuild, Hurricane Sandy also delayed the situation with food shortages and cholera epidemics. This is one of the extreme cases of aid dependency. Corruption exists in this area because not all aid reaches the population. About 75% of the aid money would be distributed to non-governmental organizations. As a result, many people still live in poverty today and some still do. in tents. Many areas still need to be rebuilt. There are also sanitation and water problems. The aid money has not been used wisely and that is why the Haitian people are in difficulty. (Haiti one year later, Pagget, Haiti continues to fight).