The 7.0 magnitude quake that rocked Haiti on Jan 12, 2010 was the biggest urban disaster in modern history. More than 200,000 people were killed, and another 1.5 million were left homeless.

The tremor struck 15km (10 miles) southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince, and was the most powerful to hit the impoverished country in more than 200 years. It was quickly followed by a series of strong aftershocks of up to 5.9 magnitude.

 

Thousands of homes, schools and hospitals were destroyed, as well as the U.N. headquarters in Port-au-Prince, the presidential palace and the main prison. Estimates of damage and losses range between $8 and $14 billion.

 

To make matters worse, a raging cholera epidemic started in October 2010 in an area unaffected by the quake, and spread across the country, killing thousands.

 

Two years after the quake, more than half a million people are still living in tents and makeshift shelters in Port-au-Prince.