Haiti Earthquake: Ten Years Later

Jan. 12, 2020 marks 10 years since Haiti’s devastating earthquake that forever changed the country’s physical and mental psyche. Scores of ministries, countless businesses, and thousands of homes were reduced to rubble. Estimates of the devastation were between $7.8 billion and $8.5 billion. The human casualty was even greater: more than 300,000 dead, 1.5 million were displaced, and an equal number were injured.

Today, the only visible sign of progress is the removal of debris. A building code requiring new construction to adhere to quake-resistant standards has yet to be voted into law. Experts say it's only a matter of time before another massive quake strikes again.

As Haiti and Haitians prepare to commemorate that day, questions linger: What's changed? What happened to the $11 billion the international community promised? How prepared is Haiti for another quake?