 |
Haiti has been badly hit by a hurricane which has been named #HurricaneMatthew. Hundreds of people have died and the impoverished country is struggling to cope with a huge public health issue.
The rise in cholera cases has made officials warn that contaminated water and a lack of hygiene are putting more people at risk to water-borne diseases.
Hurricane Matthew, is said to be the harshest Caribbean storm in nearly about 10 years, killed at least 877 people and brought down a huge part of the southern part of the country.
Government officials said on Saturday that no fewer than 13 people had died of cholera in the country's southwest, as badly damaged water supplies and sanitation facilities increase the risk of the disease spreading.
The Haitian health ministry's cholera programme said at least 62 people were sick from cholera, a water-borne disease, with outbreaks reported in several towns both inland and across the southern coast.
Children are more vulnerable to cholera, which causes severe dehydration and can be fatal in a matter of hours if left untreated.
CARE France, a humanitarian group, said that around one million people were in need of urgent assistance, and that many had "nothing left except the clothes on their back".
France announced earlier this week that it was deploying 60 troops with 32 tonnes of humanitarian supplies and water purification equipment to Haiti citizens.
Source: Al-Jazeera and agencies
No comments:
Post a Comment