UN chief's visit to highlight dire need in hurricane-hit Haiti

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will call attention to a dire need for emergency aid in hurricane-hit Haiti, with a high-profile visit to the worst-ravaged parts of the Caribbean nation.

he Secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon (C) visits the school Philippe Griellee, a shelter for families in Haiti

he Secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon (C) visits the school Philippe Griellee, a shelter for families in Haiti Source: AAP

Ban is due to conduct an aerial survey of the damage along with Prime Minister Jean-Charles Enex, then visit Les Cayes on Haiti's southern coast, one of the cities hardest-hit by Matthew.

The UN Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) said in a statement that Ban "will meet with national and local authorities, representatives of affected communities and humanitarian emergency teams."

After his fly-over, he will hold a joint press conference with interim president Jocelerme Privert, the statement said.

At least 546 people were killed when Matthew crashed ashore on October 4 as a monster Category 4 storm, packing winds of 145 miles (230 kilometers) per hour. More than 175,000 people have been left homeless.
Ban said Monday that a "massive response" was needed to cope with the destruction, with 1.4 million people in need of urgent assistance after towns and villages were almost wiped off the map.

The United Nations has launched a flash appeal for $120 million to help Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, cope with its worst humanitarian crisis since the 2010 earthquake.

But so far, only about 12 percent of the needed funds has been raised to help stave off famine and serious health crises, including cholera.

In addition to the destruction of countless homes and farms, Haitians in the worst-affected areas are dealing with a lack of potable water, which is contributing to the spread of disease.

Haiti has been plagued for a half-dozen years by cholera, which has claimed close to 10,000 lives, despite extensive efforts to combat it.
The malady was brought to Haiti in late 2010 by UN peacekeepers from Nepal, who were helping in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Officials have seen evidence of a new spike in cholera cases, which prompted the World Health Organization last week to announce it was sending an additional one million doses of vaccine to Haiti.

The UN Security Council, meanwhile, agreed earlier this week to extend MINUSTAH's stay until April of next year to help combat the myriad crises in the aftermath of Matthew.

The hurricane also prompted election officials to push back already delayed presidential and legislative elections until November 20.

The elections are a do-over after an earlier vote had to be nullified because of violence and massive fraud.

Death toll climbs to 26 in North Carolina

The death toll from Hurricane Matthew has risen to 26 in North Carolina, with two more bodies recovered as some flood waters recede, Governor Pat McCrory said on Saturday.

The bodies of a 53-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman were pulled from submerged vehicles in Cumberland and Wayne counties, respectively, McCrory told a news conference.

More than 30 deaths in the United States have been blamed on Matthew, which dumped more than a foot (30 cm) of water on inland North Carolina last week. Before hitting the southeast U.S. coast, the fierce storm killed around 1,000 people in Haiti.

McCrory said towns such as Princeville, Lumberton and Fair Bluff remained under water. In Princeville, believed to be the oldest incorporated African-American town in the United States, water surged to house roof lines on Thursday.

Although water is receding in many areas, the Lumber, Neuse, and Tar rivers are not expected to drop below major flood stage until Wednesday at the latest, McCrory said.

More than 660 roads remained closed in central and eastern North Carolina because of damage or flooding, the governor said. The number of homes and businesses without power has dropped to about 13,000, down from a peak of more than 800,000 on Sunday.

In one sign that the crisis was easing, no rescues were reported overnight, after about 2,333 water rescues were carried out in the aftermath of the storm, McCrory said.


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Source: AFP, Reuters


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