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USAID is deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to lead the U.S. government’s response efforts.
This elite team, comprising disaster experts from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, is assessing the damage, identifying priority needs, and coordinating with humanitarian partners. The DART is also coordinating with the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, as well as other U.S. agencies in the region.
In addition to mobilizing the DART, USAID staff based in the region and Washington, D.C. are monitoring the situation closely, as well as any potential impacts from Tropical Storm Grace which is approaching Haiti.
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Last updated: August 24, 2021
At 8:29 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on August 14, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Haiti at a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately 23.2 miles southwest of Sud Department’s Les Cayes town and 78 miles west of Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince. USGS issued a red alert for earthquake-related fatalities and estimated economic losses, indicating that high casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread. USGS has reported multiple aftershocks following the earthquake, including at least 19 tremors measuring at or above magnitude 4.0. Buildings compromised by the initial earthquake are likely more vulnerable to additional tremors, according to the UN.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has requested the unique capabilities of the Department of Defense (DoD) U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to support USAID’s response to the earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on August 14, 2021.
Today, at the request of the Government of Haiti, USAID is deploying an urban search and rescue team to join the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) that was mobilized yesterday to lead the U.S. government’s response efforts to the earthquake that struck Haiti.
On August 14, 2021, Administrator Samantha Power spoke with the Prime Minister of Haiti, Dr. Ariel Henry. The Administrator expressed her condolences for the loss of life following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti today, and recognized the incredibly challenging circumstances of the past month for Prime Minister Henry and the Haitian people.
Our thoughts are with the Haitian people in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti today, causing widespread damage and destruction. USAID is deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to lead the U.S. government’s response efforts.
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