Haiti earthquake damage.Photo: Jonathan Alpeyrie/Bloomberg via Getty
As Haiti continues to grapple with the aftermath of Saturday’s7.2-magnitude earthquake, the Caribbean nation is bracing for potential flooding and landslides from an approaching storm.
On Sunday, the death toll jumped from 304 to at least 1,297, according toCBS News. Additionally, at least 2,800 people have been injured as a result of the devastation and thousands more have been displaced from their homes, many of which have been destroyed or damaged.
Local hospitals have also been overwhelmed with intake since the disaster struck. “Basically, they need everything,” Dr. Inobert Pierre, a pediatrician working at a hospital two hours away from Les Cayes, one of the most impacted areas, told the outlet.
“Many of the patients have open wounds and they have been exposed to not-so-clean elements,” Pierre added. “We anticipate a lot of infections.”
Although demoted from a tropical storm over the weekend, theNational Hurricane Centerwarns that Grace still has the potential tocause flash flooding and mudslidesthroughout Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Tuesday.
REGINALD LOUISSAINT JR/AFP via Getty
In a nod to the long-term recovery efforts that will be necessary in Haiti, Prime Minister Ariel Henry has issued a month-longstate of emergency, according to the Associated Press.
“The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble. We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people,” Henry said over the weekend. “The needs are enormous. We must take care of the injured and fractured, but also provide food, aid, temporary shelter, and psychological support.”
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Haiti earthquake damage.Richard Pierrin/Getty
U.S.President Joe Bidenannounced on Saturday that he had authorized an immediate response, appointing USAID Administrator Samantha Power to coordinate the U.S. recovery efforts.
“Through USAID, we are supporting efforts to assess the damage and assist efforts to recover those who were injured and those who must now rebuild,” he wrote in astatement. “The United States remains a close and enduring friend to the people of Haiti, and we will be there in the aftermath of this tragedy.
source: people.com
