At least 1,297 people are dead after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Haiti on Saturday morning, authorities said Monday.
The epicenter of the quake, which hit at approximately 8:29 a.m. local time, was located roughly 7.5 miles northeast of Saint-Louis du Sud in the western portion of the country, per the United States Geological Survey. The death toll rose quickly over the weekend, increasing from at least 304 deaths after initial reports to 1,297 on Monday, according to the Associated Press.
BIDEN AUTHORIZES US RESPONSE TO HAITI FOLLOWING FATAL 7.2-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE
The devastating earthquake has also left more than 5,700 injured and thousands more displaced from homes and shelter. Survivors of the impact were forced to wait outside in detrimental heat due to overloaded medical facilities tending to the severely wounded.
Staff members with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in America reported significant damage to infrastructure, including medical facilities and high concentrations of damage in the northern coast and southern peninsula of the country.
“Hospitals and hotels, as well as ports, bridges and routes are reported to have been damaged in Les Cayes and Jérémie, where churches collapsed while the morning mass was being celebrated,” IFRC wrote in a Sunday statement. “Search and rescue activities are concentrated in that area as there may be people trapped in the rubble.”
“Life-saving efforts are the priority at this stage of the emergency. Providing support in search and rescue, first aid, emergency health care and shelter is a priority for the Red Cross.” – Roger Alonso, IFRC’s Disaster, Crises and Climate Unit
— IFRC Americas (@IFRC_es) August 14, 2021
Locals will also soon have to confront Tropical Storm Grace on top of the already disastrous scenario at hand. The IFRC said it activated a “global network of humanitarian aid specialists” and is working to allocate 1 million Swiss francs from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund for Haiti.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a one-month state of emergency for the country on Sunday. “The first convoys started following the coordination efforts of several ministers mobilized at the level of the National Emergency Center,” Henry told members of the press. “We salute the dignity, the resilience effort of the victims, and their ability to start over. From my observations, I deduce that Haitians want to live and progress. Let us unite to offer these people a living environment conducive to development.”
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On Saturday, President Joe Biden authorized U.S. aid for Haiti and named USAID Administrator Samantha Power as the senior official who would coordinate the effort.
