Death toll in Haiti earthquake adjusted to 2200 - 60000 homes destroyed

Almost 2,200 people have been reported dead, many more are injured and tens of thousands of families are homeless in Haiti after the magnitude 7,2 earthquake that shook the country on Saturday. 

On Wednesday, the death toll was adjusted upwards to nearly 2,200 victims. Many thousands more are injured.

Hours later, an aftershock shook southwestern Haiti during the night until Thursday, local time.

Nearly 60,000 houses are estimated to have been destroyed in the country, which is considered to be the poorest in North America.

The earthquake has also caused damage to hospitals, churches and hotels.

According to Bruno Maes, UNICEF's representative in the country, around 500, 000 Haitian children are without,  or with limited access to shelter, clean water, medical care and food.

The UN has set aside just over € 7 million for humanitarian efforts in Haiti. Several neighboring countries have also sent supplies and rescue workers. Organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders are already in place and are involved in relief work.

However many of the emergency shipments have been delayed.

Saturday´s earthquake was reportedly stronger than the 2010 earthquake, but had less damaging impact. 

 The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on the afternoon of January 12, 2010 affected 3 million people and was the most devastating natural disaster ever experienced in Haiti.  Roughly 250,000 lives were lost and 300,000 people were injured. About 1.5 million individuals were forced to live in makeshift  camps. 

Cover Photo ( Above:) Flickr Licence.  UK Fire Service Search and Rescue team at work in Haiti during the great earthquake in 2010. 

UK firefighters at work in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.To find out more about how the UK is helping in Haiti, please visit www.dfid.gov.uk/haiti-earthquake Image credit: UK Fire Service, 15th of January 2010.