The first World Happiness Report was published in 2012 to better understand happiness and well-being of various countries throughout the world by ranking each country based on GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. A country that is extremely low on the World Happiness Report—ranked one hundred thirty-six out of one hundred fifty-seven—is Haiti. Although this ranking is from the 2016 version of the World Happiness Report, Haiti, since the first published report, has always maintained a spot in the lower quartile—ranked one hundred fifty in 2012, one hundred twenty-six in 2013, and one hundred nineteen in 2015. Are these numbers due to Haiti’s past and socioeconomic disadvantage,
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Therefore, recent disasters contribute to the results far greater than disasters that date back to the founding of the country. During the twenty-first century, Haiti has sustained many disasters. However, some of the more recent disasters include: Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, fatal flooding in 2008, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010, a cholera outbreak in 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and a cholera outbreak in 2016. On September 16, 2004, Category 1 Hurricane Jeanne reached the Hispaniola Islands with wind speeds of eighty miles per hour, and killed thousands of citizens in Haiti as part of a series of deadly storms to hit the region. Despite Hurricane Jeanne only being a Category 1 hurricane, it was the deadliest hurricane to affect Haiti, which caused floods that swept away entire villages. Four years later, in 2008, Haiti witnessed another wave of flooding, which caused fatal mudslides and widespread flooding due to four deadly storms that passed through the Hispaniola Islands. The flooding killed nearly eight hundred citizens, causing $1 billion in damage and forcing tens of thousands of citizens to makeshift shelters. On January 12, 2010, Haiti encountered another natural disaster. However, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake affected 3.5 million people and killed approximately 200,000 others. In addition, the earthquake severely damaged a public sanitation station, which created ideal conditions for a cholera outbreak.The cholera outbreak following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed thousands of individuals and hospitalized several thousands more in addition to the damage caused by the earthquake. Two years later, Category 3 (tropical storm when it reached Haiti) Hurricane Sandy swept through the country leaving 18,000 families homeless in addition to the 370,000 individuals who were already without decent shelter prior to the
Therefore, recent disasters contribute to the results far greater than disasters that date back to the founding of the country. During the twenty-first century, Haiti has sustained many disasters. However, some of the more recent disasters include: Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, fatal flooding in 2008, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010, a cholera outbreak in 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and a cholera outbreak in 2016. On September 16, 2004, Category 1 Hurricane Jeanne reached the Hispaniola Islands with wind speeds of eighty miles per hour, and killed thousands of citizens in Haiti as part of a series of deadly storms to hit the region. Despite Hurricane Jeanne only being a Category 1 hurricane, it was the deadliest hurricane to affect Haiti, which caused floods that swept away entire villages. Four years later, in 2008, Haiti witnessed another wave of flooding, which caused fatal mudslides and widespread flooding due to four deadly storms that passed through the Hispaniola Islands. The flooding killed nearly eight hundred citizens, causing $1 billion in damage and forcing tens of thousands of citizens to makeshift shelters. On January 12, 2010, Haiti encountered another natural disaster. However, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake affected 3.5 million people and killed approximately 200,000 others. In addition, the earthquake severely damaged a public sanitation station, which created ideal conditions for a cholera outbreak.The cholera outbreak following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed thousands of individuals and hospitalized several thousands more in addition to the damage caused by the earthquake. Two years later, Category 3 (tropical storm when it reached Haiti) Hurricane Sandy swept through the country leaving 18,000 families homeless in addition to the 370,000 individuals who were already without decent shelter prior to the