“The recent natural disasters in Haiti require the robust response of the international community to support ongoing Government efforts,” the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Senior Emergency Coordinator in Haiti, Adam Yao, said in a news release.
According to FAO, the so-called “super-storm” caused significant damage to Haiti’s crops, land, livestock, fisheries and rural infrastructures, leaving more than 600,000 Haitians at risk of food and nutrition insecurity. It also killed 60 people and flooded, destroyed or damaged some 18,000 homes, as well as hospitals, schools and public buildings.
Hurricane Sandy was the third disaster to hit Haiti in the space of a few months. Between May and June, a severe drought struck at the beginning of the critical spring cropping season, and in August, Tropical Storm Isaac battered the country, displacing thousands of people.
The combined impact of the three disasters on the agricultural sector has been estimated by the Government at $254 million, affecting the livelihoods of 1.5 million people, FAO noted in the news release. Of the total funding sought, it added, $4 million is needed to provide immediate assistance to 20,000 families so they can make it through the winter cropping season starting in December....
Hurricane Sandy on October 23, via NASA
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