The 2010 Haiti Earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake centred approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, striking at 16:53:09 local time (21:53:09 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. The International Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake, and the Haitian Interior Minister believes that up to 200,000 could be dead, exceeding earlier Red Cross estimates of 45,000–50,000 people killed. A number of prominent public figures are among the dead.

The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince. Most major landmarks were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace (the President survived), the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. To compound the tragedy, most hospitals in the area were destroyed. The United Nations reported that the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, had collapsed and that the Mission’s Chief, Hédi Annabi, was missing.