Emergency Preparedness and Response

Emergency Preparedness and Response
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Emergency responses and disaster management schemes are becoming vital prospects in contemporary society bearing the increasing frequency of adverse incidences. With earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, terrorist attacks, and other disasters occurring frequently, emergency preparedness and responses have become priorities. However, not much success has been achieved in dealing with various disasters considering the trends of the past two decades. It is almost inevitable that avoidable mistakes occur in emergency responses and interventions. That triggers even a bigger need for responders to prepare effectively, especially when emergency responses are more prominent. This paper assesses emergency preparedness and response following the Haiti earthquake of January 2010. Assessing the Haiti earthquake through its key elements such as the scope of the damage, the nature of the response, challenges, and inefficiencies create a platform for improvement and preparedness for similar occurrences at the same place or in other places in the future.
The Haiti Earthquake
The Haiti earthquake is among the most recognizable disasters of the past two decades, bearing a range of its key characteristics. On January 12, 2010, Haiti experienced a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake (Chu et al., 2011). The earthquake's epicenter was at Léogâne, Ouest department, which is approximately 25 kilometers from the capital Port-au-Prince. A range of aftershocks accompanied the main incident. By January 24, 2010, at least 52 aftershocks with a minimum magnitude of 4.5 were recorded. Thus, the earthquake would become one of the largest ever to be recorded in the region.
The 2010 Haiti earthquake cost damages in multiple prospects. It is estimated that more than three million people were affected by the quake. The international figures indicate that the death toll estimates ranged from 100,000 to 160,000 people (Chu et al., 2011). However, the Haitian government data indicate that the death toll ranged from 220,000 to 316,000 people. The government estimates have been disputed on multiple grounds. Amidst the quake, the Haitian government estimated that at least 30,000 commercial buildings and another 250,000 residences were destroyed by the disaster (Soucie, 2018). The death toll was increased by poor housing policies and strategies in the country. Policymakers had indicated that foreign interventions into national affairs, prejudicial trade policies by other countries, and Haiti's history of national debt were the primary contributors to the poor quality of the buildings. The buildings were a primary cause of the damages experienced in the aftermath of the disaster.
Responses
The Haiti earthquake of 2010 attracted a largescale response with imprints globally. Following the occurrence of the disaster, appeals for international aid were requested by Haiti's ambassador to the US, Raymond Joseph. Ambassador Joseph collaborated with his nephew, singer Wyclef Jean to seek support from every avenue possible. In the meantime, American Red Cross immediately announced that it could not respond effectively to the disaster due t...