The death toll in Haiti continues to rise as Hurricane Matthew has claimed over 1,000, inducing a public health crisis.
Hurricane Matthew, called the most dangerous disaster to hit the Caribbean in over a decade, was a Category 4 hurricane, boasting 145mph winds and heavy rains that has left over a million Haitians homeless on Tuesday (Oct. 4.)
According to Reuters, authorities are burying the dead bodies in mass graves in Jeremie because they were decomposing. Government officials are now focusing on restoration and clean up processes; getting water, medication and food to the displaced.
Kedner Frenel, senior central official in Grand’Anse, is concerned with cholera, a waterborne illness spread through contaminated water, causing severe diarrhea and death within hours if untreated, rapidly spreading. The nearest hospital in Port-a-Piment, does not have an ambulance, or a car, as patients arrive as often as ten minute intervals in beds or the backs of loved ones.
Jocelerme Privert, Haitian’s interim President, stated that country is mostly funding it’s own recovery, as many promised foreign help has been non-existent, according to Reuters.
In 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the country, with a population of 10 million, destroying most of it’s capital, Port-au-Prince, where reconstruction was still on-going.
Photo credit: AP
