Haiti, if you don't know, was struck by a completely catastrophic 7.2 magnitude earthquake of late.
According to recently released numbers, it has killed nearly 1,300 people and has injured at least 5,700 others.
And notably, that shake was way more powerful than the 7.0 one that hit Haiti back in 2010, which of course claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people.
But, this time around, the quake reportedly hit a less densely populated area in the southwest part of the country.
It does need to be understood, though that this is still a developing situation. Right now, it is impossible to assess the full scope of the casualties and damages.
As I'm typing this, rescue teams are continuing to dig through the rubbles of collapsed structures.
The quake and its aftershocks have had a super disastrous impact on thousands of locals left suffering and displaced—with people screaming and sobbing in the streets as they scramble to save or just locate their loved ones.
Reports say that more than 27,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed—along with schools, churches and other structures.
The earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Haitians who are still reeling from the recent
assassination of the country's president.
Talk about a dark spot amid Haiti's woes.
And on top of the political turmoil that followed, it made a wave of gang violence.
Plus, the government isn't financially equipped (in the slightest) to handle such colossal crisis.
In case it's unclear, Haiti is considered the poorest nation on the western hemisphere. Not to mention it's already dealing with the extremely egregious effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Matter-of-factly, they had only just started undergoing a mass roll-out of COVID vaccines.
Additionally, let's not forget that the southern peninsula of the country is still recovering from Hurricane Matthew which hit back in 2016.
To make matters more maniacal, the devastation has gotten way worse because of Tropical Depression Grace which hit the exact same area and triggered mudslides and flooding further hampering rescue and recovery efforts.
With this ever expanding shit show, the US—along with the United Nations and several other relief organizations—have already promised to send swift assistance.
Which is desperately needed as hospitals are totally overwhelmed with patients.
As well as the ton of locals out there struggling to get a hold of basic essentials like food and water.
I'll be keeping an eye on this absolutely devastating story to see how the situation changes.
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