Only the Beginning of Sorrows

Massive Earthquake Devastates Haiti
Voice of America

The most powerful earthquake to strike Haiti in more than 200 years has left parts of the impoverished Caribbean nation in ruins, destroying buildings and burying people in the rubble.

Witnesses say bodies were lining the streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince, after the magnitude 7.0 quake struck Tuesday afternoon, sending a cloud of dust from falling buildings into the sky. The quake was centered about 16 kilometers from the capital, and struck at a depth of just 10 kilometers.

Buildings across the capital have collapsed, including the presidential palace and the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said many people were in the U.N. building when it went down and they remain unaccounted for. A Brazilian military official later said four Brazilian soldiers who were part of the U.N. mission were killed.

U.N. officials say communications and power are out across the city, making it difficult to get accurate details regarding the full extent of casualties and damage.

Some residents have been using social media such as Twitter and Facebook to send pictures of the devastation to news organizations.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says there is an urgent need for search and rescue volunteers as well as field hospitals, emergency health, water purification and telecommunications.

The organization says it has volunteers in the country and expects another team in Haiti later Wednesday.

The quake was also felt in the Dominican Republic, where some people there ran out of their homes as the quake rattled walls and windows.

The Haitian ambassador to the United States, Raymond Joseph, told CNN the Caribbean nation is seeking U.S. assistance. He called the quake a catastrophe of major proportions.

Separately, the Inter-American Development Bank said it will immediately approve a $200,000 grant for emergency assistance to Haiti. The funds will be used to provide food, water, medicine and temporary shelter for victims of the massive quake.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is dispatching a disaster assistance response team to Haiti and says it will continue to provide additional support as needed.

The aid group Oxfam says its emergency response team for Latin America is based in Haiti and is well prepared, with a public health, water and sanitation team in Port-au-Prince. Oxfam says it is preparing to send in emergency supplies as soon as possible from Panama.

Haiti is the Western Hemisphere's poorest country. Recent development efforts have suffered severe setbacks because of political violence, lawlessness, corruption and natural disasters. Seventy percent of the population lives on the equivalent of less than $2 per day.