Haitians to get aid after hurricanes
The government has announced it will spend SFr1.15 million ($1.03 million) to help the victims of the hurricane season in Haiti.
A large share of the money will be used to fund World Food Programme aid, with the Swiss Red Cross and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) receiving the rest.
The coordinator of the SDC’s cooperation office in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, is already working with the local authorities and other organisations to assess the most urgent needs. A Red Cross logistics team will leave on Saturday for the island.
The latest of three tropical storms to strike the island – Hanna, which crossed over Haiti earlier this week – has been blamed for at least 136 deaths, mainly because of flooding and mudslides.
A majority of the victims died in the city of Gonaives and its surroundings, according to local officials. Food and water are also scarce in the area and around 250,000 people have been affected by the storm.
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