On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. More than 220,000 people died, 300,000 were injured, and 1.5 were left displaced or homeless. The quake was one of the deadliest natural disasters in the 21st century.
In this case study, Zinselmeier discusses the impacts of the earthquake on Haiti, highlighting how the event changed the international disaster community’s view on humanitarian aid. Zinselmeier underscores the management failures that led to chaos in the aftermath of the quake, including communication failures and unclear roles and responsibilities, demonstrating the importance of risk reduction and coordinated disaster response.