Nicaragua and Haiti, two countries marked by tragedy
Nicaragua and Haiti are known to be the poorest countries in Latin America, and they both have been hit by massive earthquakes that have ruined them even more. Nicaragua's infamous earthquake hit at the worst time of the year, Christmas Eve. Everyone was celebrating and waiting for Christmas Eve that Saturday of 1972. They didn't know that day wouldn't come because a huge earthquake of 6.2 on the Richter scale hit Managua and destroyed 75% of its buildings. The beautiful colors and smells of Christmas turned gray that year and smelled like death.
On the night of the earthquake, 10,000 people died and hundreds more were injured. The chaos in Managua was terrible after the earthquake; businesses were still stocked high with holiday products and were sacked amidst all the chaos. For the people who survived this earthquake, it is impossible to forget that night. Forty-nine years have passed and Managua is still just the shadow of what it was before the earthquake.
Here we can see the streets of Managua destroyed and the buildings collapsed. (Image taken from Nicaragua Investiga)
This past August 14th Haiti was hit by an earthquake similar to the earthquake in Nicaragua. Haiti is the poorest country in Latin America. On top of that, the president was assassinated in July, leaving the country in a governmental crisis. There are more than 30,000 people out on the street without a home, and the government doesn't have the resources to help the people after the earthquake. These people are doing what they can to survive. They are looking for food and shelter. On top of that, add the Coronavirus pandemic into the mix. The hospitals are collapsed and they don't have enough medicine to help everyone.
The reality in Haiti is a very unfortunate one. To make matters worse, the rainy season is not even halfway done and they are bound to get hit by at least one hurricane before it is over. Governments around the world are pledging to help Haitians in the coming weeks. If you want to do your part, you can help with donations or at least by keeping them in your prayers.
Here you can see how the infrastructure was left after the earthquake. (Image take from BBC News)
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