Haiti suffers after Hurricane Matthew

By: Henry Eden ~Campus News Editor~

Photo courtesy of BBC.com | **Hurricane Matthew, categorized as a Category 4, passed over Haiti on Oct. 4 and left a path of destruction, including severe flooding damage.**

Following the devastating landing of Hurricane Matthew, humanitarian aid efforts in Haiti have increased to help fight the ongoing cholera outbreak while an interim government organizes itself to provide assistance to Haitian residents.

The storm that touched down on Oct. 3 has already claimed the lives of at least 1,000 people and displaced thousands more according to Fortune Magazine.

There are reports that say there are at least 175,000 people in shelters, according to Haiti’s national civil agency.

In the wake of the destruction, the United Nations has reported a cholera outbreak, with more than 200 cases documented as a result of contaminated water.

There have also been reports of some residents blocking aid trucks to steal the supplies for themselves.

The World Health Organization announced that it is sending more than 1 million doses of cholera vaccines to Haiti.

The U.S. is moving supplies into the country through the U.S. Embassy and airport, with a cargo plane full of relief supplies expected to arrive this week.

Many are complaining about a lack of response from the Haitian government, but officials representing the government have issued a statement stating that the government is making plans to address the situation.

“As of now, the country is in a period of assessing the full impact and damage caused by this hostile visitor,” the Republic of Haiti said in a statement released by the Haitian government.

“The government of Haiti, in partnership with civil society organizations, has taken concrete steps to address the urgent needs on the ground.”

At the moment, an interim government is running the country under acting President Jocelerme Privet as a result of the hurricane delaying the election that was previously scheduled for Oct. 9.

With farmlands and homes destroyed, many Haitian citizens are concerned about rebuilding their country.

“For them, it’s not just about getting immediate relief supplies. It’s more like, what happens next week? What happens next month?” National Director of relief group World Vision John Hasse stated.