Hurricane Matthew: At least 98 people killed in Haiti, officials say (update: over 330)
Last edited Fri Oct 7, 2016, 05:26 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: The Guardian
The number of people killed in Haiti by the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew has risen to 98, local officials said on Thursday, as rescue workers and aid agencies hoped to begin reaching remote areas of the country to assess the damage.
The hurricane, which hit Haiti on Tuesday, brought 145mph winds and torrential rains that have destroyed more than 3,200 homes, displaced 15,000 people, ruined plantations and drowned animals.
Efforts to access the worst-affected areas – including the Grand’Anse and Sud departments – have been hampered by flooding, the collapse of communications networks and the destruction of a key bridge.
But as the weather clears, Haitian authorities, the UN and national and international non-governmental organisations are starting to get a better idea of the scale of the destruction. The airport in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has reopened for humanitarian flights and two portable satellites are being used to restore communications with cut-off areas.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/06/hurricane-matthew-haiti-rescuers-battle-reach-remote-areas
Story updated at same link:
The number of people killed in Haiti by the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew rose to at least 339 on Friday as rescue workers and aid agencies battled to reach remote areas of the country, assess the damage and deliver relief.
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The hurricane, which hit Haiti on Tuesday, brought 145mph winds and torrential rains that destroyed more than 3,200 homes, displaced 15,000 people, ruined plantations and drowned animals. The toll leapt on Thursday night as receding waters revealed more bodies.
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimates that more than one million Haitians have been affected, with hundreds of thousands of people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. It has launched an appeal for £5.8m to help provide medical relief, shelter, water and sanitation over the next year.
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Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, the head of the country’s civil protection directorate, warned the death toll was likely to rise as emergency workers reached the stricken regions.
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