How did the 2010 Haiti earthquake affect Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area?

The 2010 earthquake, which struck near Port-au-Prince with a magnitude of 7.0, caused catastrophic destruction due to the region's lack of building codes and inadequate infrastructure.123

In Port-au-Prince, critical landmarks including the cathedral, the National Palace, the parliament building, and the United Nations headquarters were heavily damaged or destroyed. The city of Léogâne, located closer to the epicentre, was essentially leveled. Across the affected region, over one million people were left homeless, forcing survivors to live in makeshift tent settlements.214

The disaster created a severe humanitarian crisis:
* Infrastructure Failure: The collapse of the electric power system, blocked roads, and damaged communication lines severely hampered relief efforts.2
* Public Health: With hospitals rendered unusable, medical care was critically limited. The situation was further worsened by a subsequent cholera epidemic, which sickened hundreds of thousands.4
* Displacement: Years after the quake, hundreds of thousands remained in precarious tent camps, with many eventually relocating to expanding slums surrounding the capital.4