On October 4, 2016, Haiti was hit by the strongest hurricane it has experienced in a decade. It is estimated that Hurricane Matthew has killed as many as 900 people, making it the worst natural disaster to strike Haiti since the 2010 earthquake (Haiti). Hurricane Matthew might be off the map, but it has left a significant amount of damage in the Caribbean country.
The most affected areas are Les Cayes, Dame Marie and Jeremie. Right now, most of these communities are only accessible by plane because most of the roads and bridges were knocked down by the storm. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, some of these areas lost 80% of their crops, and 15,263 people have been displaced into shelters (Jones). The death toll keeps rising as authorities and aid workers reach into these communities, so the extent of the damage is still to be determined.
Haiti is also facing a possible cholera epidemic.The last cholera outbreak was in 2010 after the earthquake, and Haiti is still trying to recover from it. Poor sanitation systems, heavy rainfall, and lack of clean water are all factors that help propagate this disease (News).
Several international NGOs have started sending their aid to Haiti. World Vision is providing food and water, and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation is distributing seeds to farmers who lost all of their crops. Also several countries like Spain, France, and United States have sent their aid to Haiti (Jones).
Souces
“Haiti Deaths Rise after Hurricane Matthew.” CNN. Cable News Network, 8 Oct. 2016. Web. 9 Oct. 2016. <http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/08/americas/hurricane-matthew-death-toll-haiti/>.
Jones, Sam, and Amanda Holpuch. “Haiti Death Toll Rises to 842 after Hurricane Matthew, Reports Say.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 07 Oct. 2016. Web. 11 Oct. 2016. <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/06/hurricane-matthew-haiti-rescuers-battle-reach-remote-areas>.
News, BBC. “Hurricane Matthew: Haiti Mourns amid Cholera Fears.” BBC News. Web. 11 Oct. 2016. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37602431>.
