The powerful category 4 hurricane, made landfall early on Tuesday, October 4, the most powerful Caribbean storm in nearly a decade.
Haitian government officials say that over 280 people have been killed. Most of the fatalities in Haiti were in towns and fishing villages around the southern coast, with many killed by falling trees, flying debris and swollen rivers. Eighty percent of buildings in the peninsula's main city, Jeremie, were levelled, while 30,000 homes in Sud province were destroyed.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there are around 350,000 people in need of assistance.
Caritas is helping families who have left their homes, working with government emergency teams who have opened over 200 hurricane shelters in the at-risk areas. They are also delivering food packages, hot meals, water, blankets, bedding and toiletry kits.
Caritas warns of an increased risk of cholera due to the heavy rains and lack of access of clean drinking water. Some cases of cholera are already present in the south of Haiti and at least one death has been reported.
Hurricane Matthew is expected to remain a powerful Category 4 as it moves through the Bahamas towards mainland United States
Our thoughts and prayers are with those those affected by Hurricane Matthew.
General Emergency Response Fund
The Caritas network is one of the largest humanitarian aid networks in the world. Our Emergency Response Fund enables Caritas Australia to work with local partners to respond quickly and appropriately to humanitarian emergencies around the world, whenever and wherever they occur. If you would like to help deliver emergency aid around the world, please donate to the Emergency Response Fund.
