HAITI: Tropical storm Grace broke havoc in Haiti and complicated an already tenuous earthquake relief effort. The storm has disrupted an air bridge run by humanitarian groups and the U.S. Coast Guard between affected areas of Southern Haiti and the capital.
The death and injury tolls leaped by many hundreds on Tuesday after the country was hit by an earthquake in the southern peninsula. The combination of earthquake and storm has had a devastating effect on the survivors as they are struggling to keep themselves safe in makeshift shelters.
“The number of dead totaled at least 1,941, with 9,900 injured, compared with the official tallies of about 1,400 dead and 7,000 injured reported 24 hours earlier,” Haiti’s National Emergency Operations Center said.
Torrential rains largely stopped people on Tuesday and many people in affected regions were looking out for their family members, food supplies. Many people sought refuge in the few public buildings that were spared by the quake.
Haiti’s earthquake knocked down thousands of buildings in the country. The poorest country in America is still recovering from an earthquake that killed over 2,00,000 people around 11 years ago. The earthquake injured at least 9,915 with many people still missing or under the rubble.
“Countless Haitian families who have lost everything due to the earthquake are now living literally with their feet in the water due to the flooding,” said Bruno Maes, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in the country.
“Right now, about half a million Haitian children have limited or no access to shelter, safe water, healthcare, and nutrition.”
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The United Nations said it had allocated $8 million in emergency funds to provide relief for affected people.
Latin American countries including Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, and the neighboring Dominican Republic sent food, medicine, and supplies.
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