Geneva: An estimated 500,000 children live in the Grande Anse and Grand South departments in southern Haiti, the areas worst hit by Hurricane Matthew, UNICEF said Saturday.
Three days after the storm, it remains unclear how many of them need urgent assistance as damage to road infrastructure continues to hamper assessment and relief efforts.
"We’re still far from having a full picture of the extent of the damage," said Marc Vincent, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. "We are hoping for the best, but bracing for the worst."
Up to 80 per cent of homes in the south are reportedly damaged and nearly 16,000 people are staying in temporary shelters. Some 175 schools are believed to have sustained heavy damage and at least 150 schools throughout the country are being used to shelter evacuees.
A UNICEF team which reached Les Cayes, one of the worst affected areas in Grand South, reported massive flooding, particularly in low-lying areas, and damage to the town’s hospital and other health centres. Families are struggling to find safe water and adequate latrines. (QNA)
