Haiti's future remains 'hanging in the balance' 15 years after earthquake

Debris and devastation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 12 January, 2010.

Remembrance of the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010 comes as the country faces major challenges, including gang violence and extreme poverty.

"I remember the day the earthquake happened very, very well. That year, I was 19 years old, I was in my final year of high school. I lived in a two-storey house. I was working on a maths assignment with my cousin, it was about 4:45pm, when suddenly the earth started shaking. I had no idea what was happening and I started running."

Claudine St Fleur will never forget the day the earthquake struck Haiti. It claimed the life of her aunt, who was her only caregiver. "She was everything to me," Claudine told RFI, speaking from Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, via a poor connection.

She and her cousin lived in a tent for weeks, and only found refuge thanks to an uncle months later. An American friend of her aunt, who used to live in the same house as them, later helped her to pursue her studies.

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But despite her resilience after the devastation, Claudine is unemployed now – thanks to a new set of challenges Haiti is facing. "I lost my job because of the gangs and violence," she says.

Reconstruction controversy

The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7, took place on 12 January, 2010, killing at least 200,000 people and displacing 1.5 to 2 million more.

Within 30 seconds Port-au-Prince was turned upside down, families torn apart and tens of thousands of people put at risk of starvation.

Fifteen year later, the scars remain visible in the city.

Various countries and international groups raised almost $10 billion (€9.7 billion) for Haiti, pledging to rebuild the island and support its people.


Read more on RFI English

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