News / Americas

Haiti Observes Day of Mourning for Earthquake Victims

TEXT SIZE - +

Haitians observe a day of mourning Friday to mark one month since the devastating earthquake left much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas in ruins, and more than 217,000 people dead.

At least 1 million others were left homeless after the 7.0 magnitude quake struck Haiti on January 12. 

An international aid operation is in progress in Haiti, which had already been struggling to recover from tropical storms that wiped out 15 percent of the country's economic output in 2008.

Earlier Thursday, heavy rains soaked the Caribbean country, raising fears about flooding and the spread of disease among the people left homeless by the quake.

Reports from Port-au-Prince say the homeless were drenched as few had more than bed sheets strung over poles for shelter.

The United Nations and other aid agencies say the rains are an indication of what can be expected from the rainy season, which begins in just weeks.  

They say shelter and sanitation are the two greatest concerns.  Aid workers are rushing to try to set up more permanent shelters.

Separately, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says the EU will send a military mission to Haiti to help provide shelter for the quake victims before the start of the rainy season.

Ashton said in a statement from Brussels Thursday that shelter is "the most burning need" in Haiti and that its government and the United Nations requested the help.  There were no details on the size of the mission.

The nation of 9 million people is the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.


Some information for the report provided by AFP and AP.

You May Like

Video NASA Introduces New Astronaut Candidates

NASA says half appointees are women, making this highest percentage of female astronauts in one class More

Singapore, Malaysia Choke as Illegal Indonesia Forest Fires Rage

Illegal clearing of forests by burning is a recurrent problem, particularly during annual dry season that stretches from June to September More

Scandals Hit Obama's Standing With US Voters

Obama's approval rating fell eight percentage points over past month to 45 percent More

This forum has been closed.
Comments
     
There are no comments in this forum. Be first and add one

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video Egyptian Support for Syrian Opposition is Words Over Action

Egypt has further aligned itself with those trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But as VOA's Elizabeth Arrott reports from Cairo, it remains unclear how far Egypt will back its words with action.

More Americas News

US Marks 10th Anniversary of Emergency AIDS Funding

New HIV infections are down nearly 20 percent during the past decade; new infections and AIDS-related deaths are down by almost one-third
More

UN: Don’t Let Our Future Dry Up

June 17 is World Desertification Day
More

Brazil Beats Japan, Protests Spoil Confederations Cup Opening Day

Brazil wins 3-0 over Japan in the opening match Saturday although the occasion was marred by trouble at a protest outside the stadium
More

Pope, Anglican Leader Pledge to Seek Unity

Pontiff and Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledge differences over issues ranging from gay rights to women priests
More

More Than a Provider: Dads Encouraged to Engage in Kids' Lives

Fathers' groups now exist in South Africa, South America, Asia and Europe
More

Common Chemical May Damage Teeth

Researchers say BPA, found in many resins and plastics that people use everyday, may hinder enamel producing cells
More