Haiti Earthquake of 2010 March 19, 2010 A delegation of experts on human rights in Haiti prepares to testify before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on March 23rd. The delegation will urge the Commission to formally investigate the human rights impact of post-earthquake aid in Haiti and guide donor States regarding their obligations when delivering assistance. — Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti March 19, 2010 In anticipation of the March 31 Donors' Conference on Haiti, over 300 NGOs from around the world sent a letter to donor states calling on them to embrace the human rights and dignity of all Haitians as the driving force behind international assistance in rebuilding Haiti. — Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti March 16, 2010 January’s earthquake has prompted hundreds of thousands of Haitians to leave Port-au-Prince, reversing a decades-long migration from the countryside. — NYT March 15, 2010 New Orleans Law School professor Jeanne M. Woods draws on the experience of Hurricane Katrina to advocate for a "human rights approach" to aid for Haiti, which would provide Haitians with control over their own destiny and long-term support for their basic needs. — Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti March 15, 2010 Successful and sustainable development projects require including the Haitian people themselves in the planning and execution. But as Loune Viaud of Partners in Health and Monika Kalra Varma of the RFK Center for Human Rights observe, "Those who have the greatest stake in rebuilding Haiti, Haitians themselves, don’t now and never have had a real seat at the table." — Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti March 12, 2010 Elderly Haitians find themselves distinctly vulnerable and emotionally burdened after January's earthquake. — NYT March 9, 2010 In the aftermath of the earthquake, Haiti faces the added challenge of the growing number of amputees and other disabled victims of the catastrophe. There is a pressing need for prostheses and a rehabilitation infrastructure before it's too late. — Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti Table of Contents Overview Relief Efforts Haitian Government Response Earthquakes in the Caribbean Social Conditions in Haiti Americans Accused of Child Trafficking How to Help Complete Coverage Overview Updated: Feb. 19, 2010 By THE NEW YORK TIMES A massive earthquake struck Haiti just before 5 . on Jan. 12, about 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, the country's capital. The quake was the worst in the region in more than 200 years. A study by the Inter-American Development Bank estimates that the cost could be between $ billion to $ billion, based on a death toll from 200,000 to 250,000.