災難：海地地震造成大量人員傷亡

Massive devastation, severe loss of life, uncertainty about what to do or where to go: That is what is facing survivors of Tuesday’s deadly earthquake in Haiti. The Caribbean island nation is home to around 9 million people. The Red Cross says that one out of every three of those residents was affected by this quake. The country’s president is calling on the international community for aid, saying, “We need doctors, we need medicine, we need medical help.” The U.S., along with nations from Europe, Asia and South America, as well as global relief agencies — all of them have already begun sending relief workers and assistance to Haiti. President Obama has pledged that America will have a major role in the relief efforts. Haiti is part of the island of Hispaniola, along with the Dominican Republic. And that island has a fault line that runs along its southern side. That’s why scientists have warned that Hispaniola was at risk for a major earthquake. Haiti itself is a little smaller than the state of Maryland. It’s the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. 80 percent of its population lives under the poverty line, and that economic situation might create additional challenges as the country tries to recover from this natural disaster.