England & Wales

In January 2010 when the earthquake struck we wrote: "The humanitarian catastrophe that has befallen Haiti beggars belief." Hundreds of thousands were killed and millions left homeless, injured, denied medicine and starving. The country had just two fire stations and no 'quake-proof' housing. Even before the earthquake 80% lived below the poverty line and three-quarters were out of work. Haitians were therefore extremely vulnerable. Our headline read, "a disaster compounded by capitalism".