Official: Haiti drought causes 'extreme emergency'

A Haitian official says drought is causing an "extreme emergency" in the country's northeast.
Pierre Gary Mathieu of the government's National Coordination of Food Security said yesterday that the eight-month-long drought in the region has destroyed bean, plantain, and corn corps, as well as livestock.
He says it will take the area six months to recover.
The usually arid area has seen some rain lately but not enough to replenish crops.
Government officials plan to distribute seeds to farmers and food to others. Some schools currently have food but don't have water to cook. Others schools don't have any food or water.

A US-government financed food program says that a second rainy season began later than usual last year. Northeastern Haiti received very little of that rainfall.