Haiti Quake

As the devastation unfolds in Haiti, it is clear that in this case poor construction of houses has caused many more deaths than was necessary. However, it also seems that some of the major buildings, like the Cathedral and the Presidential Palace were also destroyed, meaning that the Earthquake was large enough to take out well constructed buildings as well. This is one of those times when nature is more powerful than our powers to construct safe buildings. It is also the case that the shanty towns around the country were both unable to withstand any sized quake, but also, they were light constructions, which means that more people survived in shanties than would have otherwise been the case if these were poorly constructed houses. It is a little ironic, that a home made from pieces of scrap would be more safe than a properly constructed building. But as the death toll continues to rise to over 200,000 people, the devastation is immense. It has already cost the international community £550m and this bill will continue to rise to between £2bn and £10bn in total, as roads and buildings are reconstructed and the people there continue to receive aid in one form or another. As usual it is the poor that suffer the worst of the effects, but it does seem the elite will suffer as well. A society coping with this scale of disaster will obviously show a determination to overcome their troubles, and it does seem that Haiti is doing it's best to stay calm and not descend into chaos. For example, violence is lower after the quake than it was before (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8466973.stm) according to US commander, Lt Gen Ken Keen. I wonder how a Western country would cope with a massive earthquake right bang smack in the middle of a densely populated capital?