Haitian authorities on Wednesday said 711 people have died and at least 1 000 others are missing after floods unleashed by Tropical Storm Jeanne, which devastated the north of the country.
Six hundred people were killed in Gonaives alone in the weekend floods caused by the storm, and the remaining 111 died in Port-de-Paix and other areas, according to the Haitian Civil Protection Office.
”Because of the situation of the bodies, we have decided to bury the dead in mass graves,” said Interior Minister Herard Abraham.
Morgues in Gonaives were running out of space and the bodies were putrefying in the Haitian heat.
Dead animals would also be buried as soon as possible, authorities added.
Authorities said the floods forced 250 000 people to flee their homes and destroyed 450 houses in Gonaives.
Rescuers have yet to reach some isolated areas cut off by mud or floodwaters.
Red Cross appeals for aid
The international Red Cross on Wednesday appealed for 4,2-million Swiss francs ($3,3-million) in emergency aid for Haitian flood victims.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned that northern parts of the impoverished Caribbean island will suffer from the impact of Tropical Storm Jeanne for months to come.
”The impact of the floods and landslides will be felt for some considerable time to come as these same areas were also severely affected by torrential rains in May,” Hans Havik, the international Red Cross chief in Haiti, said in a statement.
The Red Cross aid is meant to provide shelter and food for 40 000 of the estimated 170 000 people who were affected by the flooding.
As aid workers made emergency aid deliveries, the Red Cross also warned of the threat of disease unless swift action is taken.
”There is an urgent need for food and drinking water as well as blankets and plastic sheeting,” the statement said.
”Given the contamination of water sources and the flooding of latrines, there are concerns about possible outbreaks of water-related diseases,” it added.
The Red Cross said the impact of the heavy rainfall was amplified by the high level of deforestation in Haiti. — Sapa-AFP