The Haitian government is appealing for international aid after it was rocked by Hurricane Sandy last week, leaving more than 50 people dead.
The Caribbean nation that is one of the poorest in the world is still trying to recover after the devastating 2010 earthquake, when much of its infrastructure was damaged. Thousands of people are still living in shelters.
According to the United Nations, approximately 1.8 million Haitians were affected by Sandy and 27,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in the storm. Hundreds of thousands are in need of drinking water, food, and shelter.
Hospitals, schools, roads, and other buildings were also damaged or destroyed by floods that were triggered by overflowing rivers.
Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe announced the appeal for aid Sunday, reported The Associated Press.
As many as 54 people died and authorities told AP that some 70 percent of Haiti’s crops were destroyed, as well as many livestock.
“Water systems have been damaged, cholera treatment facilities have been destroyed—as have many schools. Roads and bridges have been severely damaged,” the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, Nigel Fisher, said in a statement. “This is a major blow to Haiti’s reconstruction effort, while life for the most vulnerable Haitians has become even more precarious.”
Aid agencies are having difficulty reaching communities due to flooded roads and rivers, the U.N. said.
“The impact of the storm in Haiti is extremely severe but, unfortunately, has received little international attention,” Fisher added.
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