Caribbean Red Cross

Saving lives, changing minds

Haiti National Society

Red Cross Assists Haiti Earthquake Victims
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An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haiti on Tuesday. The quake hit Port au Prince, the main town, and other areas of the country. The event was felt in other countries in the region. The most affected area is the West Province with a population of 2.2 million.

In Haiti, the Red Cross volunteers are assisting the injured people, supporting hospitals who have overloaded their capacity of attention.
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Haiti - IFRC Seeks 10 million Swiss francs for Relief Efforts
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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is launching a preliminary emergency appeal seeking a total of 10 million Swiss francs (10 million US dollars/6.8 million euro) to deliver assistance an initial 5,000 families affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday.

The earthquake, which reached 7.3 on the Richter scale, has primarily affected the cities of Port-au-Prince, Carrefour and Jacmel, all located in the West Province area which has an estimated population of 2.2 million.
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Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic and is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. More than three decades of dictatorship and military rule came to an end in 1990 when free elections were held. The country suffers from an exceptionally high rate of HIV/AIDS. Haiti has two official languages: French and Creole.
Haiti covers an area of 27,750 square kilometres, most of which is mountainous. The climate is primarily tropical but semiarid in the mountains. Haiti lies in the middle of the hurricane belt so it is vulnerable to hurricanes and severe storms from June to October. It also experiences occasional flooding and earthquakes and periodic droughts.
Haiti has an elected government headed by President René Garcia Préval. Legislative elections were held on April 19th 2009. Port-au-Prince is the capital of Haiti and there are nine administrative departments.