Haiti
is reeling from the blows of Hurricane Matthew, which crashed ashore on
October 4, bringing 145 mile per hour winds, storm surges and up to 40
inches of rainfall.
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The category 4 storm has caused massive devastation and flooding in
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, which has yet to
fully recover from a catastrophic earthquake in 2010.
Southern
Haiti, including the port town of Les Cayes, appears to be the hardest
hit. A key bridge linking the southern region to Haiti’s capital,
Port-au-Prince, collapsed. The full extent of damage is not yet known,
due to the hazardous conditions and the breakdown of communications. But
one local community, Jeremie, reports 90 percent of its houses
destroyed or seriously damaged.
Rescue workers continue to try to reach affected areas, where many people have been hurt. The death toll of nearly 500 in Haiti is likely to rise as authorities reach more communities.
“Hundreds
of lives have been lost. We have seen roofs blown off houses, damaged
homes and waters flooding the streets, but we still don’t know the full
scale of the damage,” says Catholic Relief Services Haiti Country Representative Chris Bessey.
CRS
and local partners are responding now in some of the most affected
areas in southern Haiti. Teams are working to determine the most
pressing needs as quickly as possible.
With
prepositioned emergency materials nearby, CRS is distributing tarps,
and hygiene and living supplies to communities as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your generosity.
May blessings overflow,
Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo
President & CEO Catholic Relief Services |
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