Chile and Haiti

Over the last few days I've been wondering why the media and celebrity response to the earthquake in Chile has appeared more muted than the response to the earthquake in Haiti . . . not that I'm clamoring for another We Are the World. . . . please lord, not that.

Apparently, the quake in Haiti was more shallow than the quake in Chile and struck closer to a more densely populated area, Port-au-Prince. The quake in Chile has claimed approximately 700 lives, while the quake in Haiti claimed at least 220,000. Deaths in Haiti were due primarily to building collapse. In Chile, structural damage was far less extensive. So, if media and celebrity response is driven by the magnitude of a disaster, then I suppose it makes sense that the earthquake in Chile has received less attention.

Anne Applebaum contrasts the situations in Haiti and Chile.

Donate to earthquake relief in Chile through the American Red Cross.

Factoid nugget: Did you know that the American Red Cross is one of several international aid organizations using the red/white iconography? The red/white humanitarian organizations include the Red Crescent, the Red Crystal, the Red Star of David, and formerly the Iranian Red Lion with Sun.

Fascinating. Sphere: Related Content