UN responds to Hurricane impact in Haiti

The World Food Programme (WFP) is deploying logistics and assessment teams to bring in much needed relief in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew struck the country, a UN spokesman told reporters on Friday.

The WFP teams were also in Haiti to determine the hurricane's wider impact on the food and nutrition security of Haitians, Xinhua news agency quoted Farhan Haq, UN deputy spokesman as saying at a daily news briefing.

"At the time the hurricane struck Haiti, the agency had already pre-positioned sufficient emergency supplies to feed up to 300,000 people for a month," Haq said.

Meanwhile in Cuba, the WFP has stocks to feed more than 25,000 people for a month as a part of government-led efforts, he added.

"Additional water and sanitation supplies, such as water purification tablets, water bladders and plastic sheeting, have been dispatched to the most affected departments in the westernmost tip of Haiti," Haq added.

UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says it needs at least $5 million to meet children's most pressing needs, including restoring health services and provide essential vitamins, setting up temporary learning spaces and supporting child protection services to protect children from violence, exploitation and abuse, he added.

Haiti, still recovering from the catastrophic 2010 earthquake which killed many thousands of people, was hit hardest by Hurricane Matthew with more than 271 people dead as of Thursday.

--IANS

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