A strong earthquake struck Haiti today, killing 29 so far, according to a preliminary count, while Washington authorized the provision of assistance to deal with the damage.
According to the American Seismological Center, the earthquakes measured 7.2 degrees on the Richter scale, which prompted the center to issue a tsunami warning before canceling it.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry called on all residents of the country to show a spirit of solidarity with the aim of forming a common front to confront what he described as the tragic situation, and announced that "the government in the morning approved a state of emergency for a month following the occurrence of this disaster."
Henry wrote on Twitter, "I offer my condolences to the families of the victims of the violent earthquake, which caused human losses and heavy material damage in a number of regions of the country."
In Washington, President Joe Biden offered US assistance.
A White House official (who did not want to be identified) told reporters that Biden "authorized an immediate US response, and tasked the Director of the US Agency for International Assistance, Samantha Powers, to coordinate this effort."
The poorest country in North America still remembers the January 12, 2010 earthquake, which devastated the capital and many cities.
More than 200,000 people died on that day, more than 300,000 were injured, and 1.5 million people were displaced.
More than 10 years after this devastating earthquake, Haiti, mired in a severe socio-political crisis, has not been able to meet the challenge of reconstruction.