Latest update: Thursday 21 January

Another earthquake measuring 6.1 magnitude struck Haiti yesterday, just 8 days after a 7.0 earthquake devastated the country.

It has been reported the earthquake struck just after 6:00am local time, 60km west-south-west of Port-au-Prince. While there have been no reports of damage or further casualties from this aftershock, it is thought that many buildings already badly damaged by last week’s earthquake would have collapsed.

Steve Matthews from World Vision’s Global Rapid Response team reported that buildings were evacuated. "We are not out of hotel compound yet, but surely there must be more injuries and downed buildings in Port-au-Prince," he said.

Another World Vision staffer, Laura Blank is also on the ground in Haiti.

"This morning was scary for me as an adult. I can't imagine what it is like for the children who are sleeping out on the streets," said Laura. "If I'm shaken up, I can only imagine how scared they must be right now."

Children are the priority for World Vision’s relief efforts in Haiti. World Vision is working to ensure that children have safe spaces to go to, and will work with other agencies to reunify children with their families. A World Vision child protection specialist is scheduled to arrive in Port-au-Prince on Thursday to begin this work, in collaboration with the United Nations and other NGOs.

An estimated 100,000 people are thought to have died in the first earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010.

Read latest updates about World Vision’s response and children sponsored by Australians here.

You can donate to the Haiti earthquake appeal here.