Haiti, an impoverished nation in the Caribbean, has been stunned by the destruction left by a 7.0 scale earthquake. In this video, NewsHour correspondent Judy Woodruff reports on the impact of the earthquake and ongoing rescue efforts.
Most buildings in the capital Port-au-Prince have been destroyed and thousands of people are sleeping in the streets because they are afraid of going inside.
As of yet there is no accurate death toll but estimates range from the thousands to 500,000 people dead.
President Obama offered his support to the people of Haiti.
"With just a few hundred miles of ocean between us and a long history that binds us together, Haitians are our neighbors in the Americas and here at home," he said.
Quotes
"The infrastructure is all down at the moment. There is no power. It's very, very dark. Earlier in the evening, before it got too dark, you were hearing a lot of people obviously breathing and a lot of distress going on, looking for their missing relatives. We are really quite concerned about several of the children and -- and families at the moment and what's going to happen." - Ian Rodgers
"I assure my spiritual closeness to those who have lost their homes and to all the people who are suffering in various ways for this calamity, imploring from God consolation and relief for their sufferings." - Pope Benedict XVI
"With just a few hundred miles of ocean between us and a long history that binds us together, Haitians are our neighbors in the Americas and here at home. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the many Haitian-Americans around our country who do not yet know the fate of their families and loved ones back home." - President Barack Obama
Warm Up Questions
1. Find Haiti on a map. What do you know about the country?
2. What might be some differences between the way a major earthquake affects a poor country and a rich country?
Discussion Questions
1. What did you learn from this video?
2. Haiti is a very poor country where many people do not have any money. How might this make the devastation from the quake worse? How will this impact relief efforts?
3. Why does such dire poverty exist in Haiti? See the full Extra story here.
4. What natural disasters have had devastating effects in the U.S.? How is this country equipped to handle natural disasters. Do you feel that we are prepared?
5. What are some ways that you or your classmates can help the people of Haiti?
6. How would the destruction of the capital Port-au-Prince impact the national psyche? How would you feel?
Additional Resources
Read the transcript of this report
