Collapsed buildings, entire hospital: the Haiti earthquake killed more than 300 people and caused heavy damage. US President Biden offered aid to the beleaguered state.

During the devastating earthquake in Haiti According to official information, more than 300 people have been killed so far. The Civil Defense Authority said at least 1,800 were injured. Many people are still missing.

The agency’s director, Jerry Chandler, told the AP news agency that some places were completely gutted and that hospitals could no longer accept as many injured, especially in the coastal city of Les Cayes, where some 126,000 people live. “The most important thing now is to get as many survivors out of the rubble as possible.” Chandler said the need was tremendous. The International Red Cross is already working to care for the injured.

Interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was visiting the affected area. He declared a month-long state of emergency. He appealed to the population to “show solidarity” and not panic.

The United States offers help – the Federal Foreign Office warns

US President Joe Biden announced aid for disaster victims: “The United States remains a close and constant friend of the Haitian people, and we will be there after this tragedy,” a statement from the US president said. “We extend our deepest condolences to all those who have lost a loved one or whose homes and businesses have been destroyed,” Biden said.

The federal Foreign Office called on people to avoid the earthquake zone: “Severe deaths and injuries as well as severe damage to buildings and infrastructure are to be expected. Stronger tremors will continue to occur.” Travel and safety information states that travelers should avoid the affected area. Travel to Haiti has long been strongly discouraged.

difficult communication

The epicenter of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake was twelve kilometers from the municipality of Saint-Louis-du-Sud, and in particular the southern peninsula of Haiti was affected by the earthquake. Tremors were felt throughout Haiti as far as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

Several cell phone videos show people running through the streets in panic, with countless collapsed buildings to be seen. The full extent of the damage is yet to be estimated – rescuers speak of difficult communication with the affected areas.

The aid organization Save the Children expressed great concern for the children in Haiti. The organization’s employees at the site reported a “terrible devastation”. Even if it will take days to capture the full extent of the damage, it is already clear that Haiti is in the midst of a humanitarian emergency.

hardly any state structure

There is hardly a functioning state structure in Haiti to provide quick aid. The poor Caribbean country is in serious political trouble. On 7 July, President Jovenel Mois was assassinated and the country is run by a transitional government. Criminal gangs also create an atmosphere of insecurity. The difficult political situation could also put the work of aid workers at risk.

Haiti is repeatedly vulnerable to natural disasters. In January 2010, an earthquake killed more than 220,000 people. In 2016, a tornado killed hundreds of people. Of the approximately eleven million Haitians, about 4.4 million live below the poverty line.