THE CARIBBEAN JOURNAL, CNN, NBC, AP (USA), BBC NEWS (UK)
Haiti is pleading for international help in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, as more than a million Haitians risk being victims of food shortages.
The Caribbean Journal reports that Johan Peleman, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ operation in Haiti, revealed that approximately 1.2 million people in Haiti are facing food insecurity due to the residual effects of Hurricane Sandy.
FOTO del Día: Mercado inundado en Port-au-Prince #Haití tras el huracán #Sandy q deja 20.000personas damnificadas twitpic.com/b9fhfm
— ONU Desarrollo (@pnud_es) November 1, 2012
The food shortages are being blamed on crop damages caused by the storm’s strong winds and heavy rain, according to BBC News.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 people’s houses in Haiti have been destroyed, damaged or flooded by the storm, the UN said – a situation that could lead to a sharp rise in cholera cases.
Sandy howled over a series of countries, killing an overall 161 people, including 92 in the United States, CNN reports. Deaths include two in Canada and 67 in the Caribbean — 50 of which in Haiti alone.
One luv and warm energy to Haïti #sandy was serious out there too #nature #storm #disaster #solidarity #rain instagr.am/p/RfuDixs-jz/
— Jay Smith (@jaybkrw) November 1, 2012
In the U.S., New York state was the worst-hit with 48 deaths, including 41 in New York City, authorities said. The city borough of Staten Island, made up of working-class neighborhoods just a ferry ride from the more glamorous Manhattan, has been the hardest hit with 19 deaths.
Recovery efforts are being hampered by fuel shortages and difficulties in restoring power, meaning endless lines at filling stations and lingering blackouts for New York residents, even as plans for this Sunday’s annual marathon are still on, despite rising criticism for the decision.
New York City authorities say a motorist was arrested after he tried to cut in line at a filling station in Queens early Thursday and pointed a pistol at another motorist who complained, AP reports.
