By Sunday, the death toll of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake had claimed 1,297 lives leaving at least 5700 people injured in Saturday’s eathquake and thousands displaced.
Homes and other building were left in rubble leaving the displaced out in the oppressive heat.
Makeshift hospitals were constructed in open spaces to accommodate the many injured people that were hurt as a result of the eathquake.
The eathquake struck the southwestern part of the hemisphere’s poorest nation causing landslides in some part which hindered rescue efforts.
The epicentre was about 135 killometeres west of the capital of port-au-prince.
In scenes widespread across the region hit by the quake, families salvaged their few belongings and spent the night at an open-air football pitch. On Sunday, people lined up to buy what little was available at a local street market.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry has declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals were overwhelmed.
“The first convoys started following the coordination efforts of several ministers mobilized at the level of the National Emergency Center,” the prime minister inister said as this site quoted the AP news site
Haiti’s Office of Civil Protection said more than 7,000 homes were destroyed and nearly 5,000 damaged. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches were also affected.
