The Practice of International Search and Rescue in Haiti
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Abstract
A powerful earthquake rocked Haiti on 12th January in 2010. The earthquake, according to experts - was stronger than had been observed for 200 years in the region. The world reacted immediately to the disaster. Global humanitarian assistance launched, in order to help Haiti’s population. In the first phase of the assistance rescuers had to find survivors trapped under the rubble and had to save them from there. These tasks were handled by USAR teams arriving to the area according to UN INSARAG policies. The authors examine the possibilities of the practical application of INSARAG in Haiti. This study presents the advantages and disadvantages experienced during search and rescue work and explores the possibilities of further developments.