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The Effects of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake on Children's Nutrition and Education

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  • Dodlova, Marina

    (University of Passau)

  • Carias, Michelle Escobar

    (Monash University)

  • Grimm, Michael

    (University of Passau)

Abstract

We assess the impact of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on children’s nutrition and education. We combine geo-coded shaking intensity data with four waves of the Haiti Demographic Health Survey, two administered before and two after the earthquake. We find lasting negative impacts of the earthquake on children's stunting and wasting as well as on school enrolment and attendance. A one standard deviation increase in shaking intensity raises infant stunting by 0.08 standard deviations and wasting by 0.04 standard deviations. Our estimates account for the millions in aid funds allocated by the World Bank to overcome the earthquake's aftermath. This aid mitigated but could not fully prevent the adverse effects on children's health and education. The results are robust to alternative specifications and different measures of exposure to the earthquake. Our results highlight the need for aid in poor areas affected by natural disasters to prevent infant malnutrition and poor education. Reduced children's health and education will have lasting private and social costs, which could easily exceed the necessary costs to counter these effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Dodlova, Marina & Carias, Michelle Escobar & Grimm, Michael, 2023. "The Effects of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake on Children's Nutrition and Education," IZA Discussion Papers 16195, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16195
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    natural disasters; earthquake; nutrition; education; school attendance; Haiti;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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