Above: Haitians wait for food assistance (World Food Programme Photo/Elio Rujano)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Hurricane Sandy, which killed at least 60 people in Haiti, also severely damaged the country’a agriculture sector.
Now, Haiti, with assistance with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, is seeking $74 million over the next 12 months to help repair the country’s agriculture sector.
“The recent natural disasters in Haiti require the robust response of the international community to support ongoing government efforts,” said Adam Yao, senior emergency coordinator for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Of that funding, $4 million is sought to immediately help 20,000 families make it through the winter cropping season starting in December.
Sandy was the third disaster to hit the country this year, following a major drought at the beginning of the cropping season in May and Tropical Storm Isaac in August.
The combined impact of the three totaled around $254 million, according to Haiti’s government, affecting around 1.5 million people.
Another UN estimate put the total number of Haitians affected by Sandy alone at around 1.8 million.
A number of areas in Haiti’s south, southeast and Grand Anse departments are isolated due to the destruction of road and other infrastructure.
The FAO, along with the UN’s World Food Programme and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and partners will be conducting a helicopter survey of those areas.