Mag 6.1 Earthquake Shakes Haiti Again

January 20, 2010

A strong earthquake has again struck Haiti, shaking buildings and causing panic as international efforts to help those affected by last week's devastating quake continued.

A United States Geological Survey map showing the location of Haiti's latest 6.1 magnitude earthquake, 20 Jan 2010

There have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the magnitude 6.1 quake, which hit early Wednesday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States is sending more ships to Haiti to help with recovery from last week's 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which left much of the nation in ruins and killed an estimated 200,000 people.

This will include a vessel designed to clear debris blocking the main port in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The debris has prevented larger ships with food and other vital supplies from making deliveries. A U.S. Navy hospital ship equipped with 1,000 beds is also expected to arrive.

The U.N. Security Council is sending 2,000 troops and 1,500 more police to join the thousands of U.N. personnel already in Haiti. The extra troops will be used to protect humanitarian convoys.

American troops have also been providing security for food and water deliveries.

Survivors have been living in makeshift camps on streets littered with debris and decomposing bodies. Doctors are struggling to treat thousands of injured with limited resources.

Efforts to distribute aid have been hampered by numerous problems, including blocked roads, bureaucratic confusion and the collapse of local authority. U.N. officials say despite the problems, progress is being made.

Search and rescue teams from several countries have freed 90 people buried under collapsed buildings, including an elderly woman on Tuesday who was trapped under rubble for a full week.

Officials estimate the earthquake affected an estimated three million - about a third of Haiti's population. Haitian authorities said 75,000 of those killed have been buried in mass graves.

Desperate circumstances have led some Haitians to flee the capital for the countryside.

The U.S. State Department says Haitians who need emergency help inside the country can send a text message with their needs and their location to the number "4636." That message will be passed on to aid organizations that can respond, or give directions to the nearest aid distribution points. The service currently only works with the Digicel mobile phone service.