The study of vulnerability constitutes a central axis in research work on sustainability. Social vulnerability (SV) analyzes differences in human capacity to prepare, respond and recover from the impact of a natural hazard. Although disasters threaten all the people who suffer from them, they do not affect all members of society in the same way. Social and economic inequalities make certain groups more vulnerable. Factors such as age, sex, social class and ethnic identity increase vulnerability to a natural disaster.

This paper aims to analyze how the consequences of natural disasters affect gender relations in socioeconomic terms. To meet this objective, we quantitatively analyzed the effect of the earthquake that occurred in Haiti in 2010 based on data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). To measure the impact of the 2010 earthquake we used the differences in differences (DID) technique.

Background: Haiti’s 2010 earthquake devastated social, health, and economic infrastructure and left 2 million persons homeless. Over 6 years later 61,000 people remain displaced, most lacking protection, services, and durable solutions. Structural contexts elevate risks of gender-based violence (GBV) targeting internally displaced (ID) girls and women. Objective: We used an intersectionality framework to explore lived experiences and understanding of violence among ID young men and women in Leogane, Haiti.

Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, often negatively affect the economic wellbeing of affected individuals. Under such conditions, women may engage in transactional sexual behaviors in order to compensate for lost income and provide for their households. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between hurricane impact and transactional sex and if this relationship was moderated, or mediated, through economic factors.

In spite of an absence of quantitative data, it is generally accepted that sexual and gender based violence against women and girls in the camps are widespread in Haiti. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is on the rise due to increased economic and social vulnerabilities of persons living in camps. While SGBV was prevalent in Haiti prior to the earthquake, living conditions of 800,000 Haitians (particularly in more than 1,000 Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps and spontaneous settlements) have exacerbated these existing vulnerabilities.

Trois ans plus tard, les conséquences du séisme de janvier 2010 en Haïti sont toujours visibles. Le processus de reconstruction a été entamé avec une participation active des femmes haïtiennes. Ce rapport regroupe les témoignages de sept femmes sur les résultats de cette intervention cherchant à placer les communautés locales au centre des décisions. Cette approche se veut de renforcer les capacités de la population et du gouvernement. Le support financier de la communauté internationale reste nécessaire dans l’affrontement des défis de la reconstruction et le développement d’Haïti.

The position of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition on the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.
« Human rights are often set aside as an ‘extra’ in emergency response, i.e., there is no time to assess the specific issues, we go with what we know. » -Jane Barry

In January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake tore through the area surrounding Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince, destroying much of the city’s already fragile infrastructure. Over 222,570 people were killed and 300,572 injured. An additional 2.3 million—almost a quarter of the population— were displaced and now live in roughly 1,300 internally displaced person (IDP) camps. The camps are constructed mostly of tarpaulins, have limited public shower and toilet facilities, and lack adequate lighting and sanitation.

Ce document est consolidé par OCHA pour le compte de l’Équipe humanitaire pays et des partenaires. Il présente une compréhension commune de la crise, notamment les besoins humanitaires les plus pressants et le nombre estimé de personnes ayant besoin d’assistance. Il constitue une base factuelle aidant à informer la planification stratégique conjointe de la réponse.

OCHA permet qu’il soit fait utilisation du présent contenu conformément aux dispositions et sous réserve des conditions garant sur son site web.

La recherche porte d’une manière générale sur les insécurités humaines liées aux risques de catastrophes d’origine naturelle en Haïti ; croisés à la problématique du genre et celle du handicap. Elle est structurée autour des concepts suivants :

- L’insécurité humaine
- Risques de catastrophe et situations d’urgence
- Impacts des catastrophes d’origine naturelle
- Le genre associé aux risques, menaces et catastrophes d’origine naturelle
- Le handicap et l’environnement physique et social