Haiti

With 80 percent of the Haitian population living below the country’s own defined poverty line, and 62 percent living on less than $1.25 per day, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. In January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti with an epicenter near the capital, Port-au-Prince. Since then, the plight of many Haitian families has worsened. High unemployment rates rose even higher. There were few paved roads, an inadequate supply of potable water, and minimal utilities available in Haiti before the quake. Public education was a shambles, and about 40 percent of Haitians did not have access to health care. All these circumstances were exacerbated by the disaster. Today, Haiti is overly reliant on international aid, and most Haitians are unable to imagine a brighter, more self-sufficient future.