Haiti 2010 - A Different Story
Just over a year earlier, on 12th January 2010, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Though smaller than Japan's quake, it caused far more deaths - over 220,000 people died and 300,000 were injured. The epicentre was just 25km west of Port-au-Prince, the capital city, at 4:53pm local time.
Haiti's tragedy shows how poverty makes earthquakes deadlier. With 80% of the population living below the poverty line, most buildings weren't earthquake-resistant. The airport control tower collapsed, 8 hospitals were destroyed, and even the government and police force collapsed, leading to looting and crime.
The international response was massive but challenging. The USA, EU, and UK donated hundreds of millions of pounds, whilst countries like Iceland sent search and rescue teams. The Red Cross set up temporary hospitals, and innovative "cash for work" programmes paid Haitians to clear rubble from their own communities.
Recovery proved incredibly slow though. Six months later, 98% of debris remained uncleared, and a cholera epidemic killed 8,000 more people. However, international aid did help - Haiti's debt payments were cancelled for 5 years, and development of earthquake-resistant buildings finally began.
Reality Check: Haiti's earthquake was much smaller than Japan's, but killed 14 times more people - showing how preparation and wealth can save lives during natural disasters.