Relief workers in the northern Haitian city of Gonaives are struggling to distribute food and water to an estimated 40.000 people there who need urgent help in the wake of the floods and mudslides that followed deadly Tropical Storm Jeanne, United Nations humanitarian agencies reported Tuesday.
More than 44 tons of food, including rice, lentils and cooking oil, are being distributed each day from two sites in Gonaives, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is examining whether to open up four more distribution sites within the city and another four outside, but security concerns have delayed any openings.
MINUSTAH is stepping up its presence in the north, which was hit hardest by Tropical Storm Jeanne earlier this month, to improve and protect the distribution of emergency relief supplies there. The missions 480 troops and 30 UN civilian police in Gonaives have been bolstered by an additional 150 troops from Uruguay who are reinforcing relief and security operations there.
The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) is also donating 120.000 litres of bottled water to meet demand from Haitians for clean, drinkable water, while non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are installing a water purification unit that can process up to 600.000 litres every day.
Haitian authorities have estimated that at least 1.300 people are dead and more than 1.000 others are missing because of Tropical Storm Jeanne, the latest in a series of hurricanes and storm to lash the Caribbean region this season. Most casualties have been in Gonaives, which is Haitis third-largest city.
Kilde: FNs nyhedstjeneste
