Shaken Lives

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on the afternoon of January 12, 2010, was one of the worst disasters to hit a country that had already suffered from years of political, economic, and social setbacks.

With 3 million people affected, this earthquake was the most devastating natural disaster ever experienced in Haiti, already the poorest country in the Western world. Roughly 250,000 lives were lost and 300,000 more were injured. With their homes destroyed many families were forced to live in makeshift tent camps. As a result, the country faced the greatest humanitarian need in its history.