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On August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southwest Haiti, leaving an estimated 650,000 people on the Tiburon Peninsula in need of assistance. In the hardest-hit areas of Grand'Anse, Nippes, and Sud, over 2,200 people have died and another 12,200 have been injured. According to the Haitian Civil Protection General Directorate, the department primarily responsible for risk and disaster management in Haiti, more than 137,000 families have been affected the areas, and 40 percent of Haiti's total population requires humanitarian assistance. Nearly 61,000 homes were destroyed, while another 76,000 were damaged.

The storm hit as thousands of Haitians dug through rubble looking for loved ones or sought shelter after the earthquake crumbled entire towns and left hospitals overwhelmed with the injured. The quake is 2021's deadliest earthquake and natural disaster. It is also Haiti's worst disaster since the 2010 earthquake. The economic cost of this earthquake is estimated to be more than 1.5 billion US dollars, or nearly 10% of the country's GDP. Several thousand landslides were also caused by the earthquake and subsequent rainfall from Tropical Cyclone Grace, which struck Haiti on August 16, 2021. The earthquake occurred 78 miles west of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, and impacted two cities, Les Cayes and Jeremie. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc in this region, killing nearly 900 people and destroying 90 percent of some areas, including the main road connecting the peninsula to the capital. The region was still reeling from the effects of the disaster when the quake struck.

Direct Relief works to improve the lives of those affected by poverty or natural disasters in all 50 states and over 80 countries. This organization has already established hospitals and clinics in Haiti that allow for quick response. In addition to the hospitals, Direct Relief has sent emergency tents and supplies to the country. According to Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, only 46% of those in need have received humanitarian assistance, owing to remote communities being the most affected. In addition, the crisis has harmed infrastructures such as hospitals, roads, ports, and bridges. Flooding caused by Tropical Storm Grace exacerbated damage to structures in the area. Families are experiencing heartbreak in the aftermath of death and destruction.