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FROM THE FIELD

Haiti faces fourth major storm
05 Sep 2008 15:42:00 GMT
 Source: Christian Aid - UK
Sarah Wilson

Website: Website: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/haiti-storms/storms-caribbean.aspx

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Haiti is bracing itself for the fourth major storm in less than a month, as Tropical Storm Ike advances from the east. Already, more than 200 lives have been lost and the United Nations is warning that more than half a million people are in need of emergency assistance after storms Fay, Gustav and Hanna battered the island.

Prospery Raymond, Christian Aid's country representative said: "The hospitals in Gonaives and Les Cayes were completely flooded. The scene is similar to September 2004 when Tropical Storm Jeanne killed well over 2,000 people.

"The whole of the Artibonite valley has been flooded, which is where 80 per cent of Haitian rice is grown. Rice crops were destroyed near the point of harvesting, which can only put the price of this staple food even further out of the reach of many families.

"I am very worried that we will see rioting in various parts of the country over the next few weeks as people grow frustrated with the speed of the government response.

Christian Aid has already started distributing water purification kits and emergency medical supplies to help the injured. If Tropical Storm Ike does hit the island early next week the scale of the disaster will be even higher. Already many bridges have collapsed and roads destroyed, making it difficult to reach the most vulnerable.

Not only have thousands of people lost their homes, but many families have also lost livestock - cows and goats. Selling the milk from these animals is often vital to a family's survival, so Christian Aid will also be helping people to restock.

Because Tropical Storm Hanna hit the island without warning, most people did not have time to evacuate to shelters. Instead, hundreds of people spent days on their rooftops enduring torrential rain, while waiting for help to arrive. The area around the northern city of Gonaives is particularly vulnerable because it is very low-lying.

Mudslides are also a danger in a country where 98 per cent of the forest cover has been destroyed. Cutting down trees to make charcoal to sell for fuel is the last resort for many rural Haitians who have no other income between harvests.

To interview Prospery Raymond and other Christian Aid staff who are coordinating the emergency response in Haiti, please contact Sarah Wilson on 0207 523 2277 or 07930 341 525 or swilson@christian-aid.org


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

Briefings
Haiti floods - [Who works where]
Haiti troubles - [Who works where]
Hurricane Gustav - [Who works where]
Hurricane Hanna - [Who works where]

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Hurricane Ike is located east-northeast of Grand Turk Island in this satellite image taken on September 5, 2008. Ike weakened slightly as it charged across the Atlantic toward the Bahamas and ...


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Last updated:Fri Sep 5 15:49:09 2008