The Caribbean nation has suffered more than its neighbors, also lashed by major storms, in part because of severe deforestation and extreme poverty.

After Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gustav in August, the poorest country in the Americas was devastated by Tropical Storm Hanna last week, and flooding was compounded Saturday night and Sunday when Hurricane Ike clipped the country's northern peninsula as it raged westward toward Cuba.

Damaged infrastructure and continuing rains left aid organizations struggling to bring emergency assistance to hundreds of thousands of storm victims.

About 600 people died in Haiti's recent storms, according to UN and government figures, and one million were affected. The storms also battered roads and bridges.

But many say the damage could have been reduced by better environmental planning.

"There's a real emergency. Measures should be taken to take to slow down the degradation of the environment in Haiti," said Joel Boutroue, representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"With this rhythm of deforestation, we're up against a wall," Boutroue said, adding that the lack of tree cover contributes to poverty as well as provoking flooding.

The use of charcoal in most cooking in Haiti -- where some 70 percent live on less than two dollars per day -- has contributed to massive deforestation.

Wood is systematically cut for use as charcoal, in baking and for laundry, contributing to Haiti's environmental destruction.

Haiti's plant cover is estimated at less than two percent and recent heavy downpours led to severe flooding much worse than in the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Haitian Environment Minister Jean-Marie Claude Germain said a lack of proper agricultural planning dating back to the country's independence at the start of the 19th century contributed to the country's vulnerability.

"In neighboring Dominican Republic, plant cover is estimated at 30 percent and the army looks after the environment sector, contrary to Haiti where there's no environment policy," Germain said.

The country's geography compounds the problems: with 80 percent of Haiti covered by mountains, all kinds of hurricanes pose a threat, said meteorologist Ronal Semelfort.

Boutroue, an international aid coordinator, called on the Haitian government and international donors to invest in the environment and "act quickly" to rethink reforestation programs.

"They need to make changes now, pending significant government reforms," he said.

earlier related report
In storm-battered Haiti, humanitarian crisis as 500 are killed
Hundreds of people were found dead in Haiti as international aid trickled Saturday to desperate residents who have not eaten in days since the latest in a battery of storms crushed the country.

As the death toll jumped nearly five-fold in the wake of Tropical Storm Hanna, the poorest country in the Americas faced a possible new beating from Hurricane Ike, which threatened to graze Haiti's vulnerable northwest coast.

And more deaths could emerge.

"The toll is increasing hourly," warned the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "According to information from the government we have reached more than 500 deaths" following Hanna, which hit Haiti early in the week.

Ground zero of the devastation was in Gonaives, a flood-prone northwestern coast city where about 3,000 people died four years ago when it was drowned by Tropical Storm Jeanne.

Senator Yuri Latortue, who represents Gonaives, said 200,000 people have not eaten in days.

Massive deforestation has left Haiti vulnerable to flooding and mudslides. After Hanna struck, many residents took refuge on the roofs of their homes before they were rescued by UN helicopters.

From the air, the rivers were muddy brown as they spilled over into entire villages. Only the roofs of homes could be seen.

Kone Amara, the Haiti humanitarian assistance coordinator for the aid organization Oxfam, said the situation in Gonaives, a city of 300,000 people, was "very grave."

"There's no food in the city and people live in shelters with precarious hygienic conditions," Amara said.

The group had planned to ship 2,000 bottles of water with the help of the World Food Program, but it could not get a boat until at least Monday, he said.

Oxfam might take aid by road, but it wants to be escorted by the UN peacekeeping mission due to security concerns.

"The people on the road feel abandoned and don't want all the aid to be focused on Gonaives," Amara said.

Parnell Denis, the contact for Oxfam in Gonaives, said the city was "completely devastated."

"The streets are lined with groups of people walking through the streets trying to find higher ground," Denis said.

"Food supplies and water are scarce and the price of the food that's left is rising. The morale of people staying in the shelters is so very low; I am afraid to tell them that another storm is on its way."

Hurricane Ike was forecast to pass north of Haiti, sparing it from a direct hit, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

But a tropical storm warning was issued for the Caribbean country's northern peninsula. Radio alerts urged residents to take precautions as the storm could strike on Sunday.

Ike, packing winds of 175 kilometers (110 miles) per hour, threatened to become a major hurricane again as it approached the Bahamas, the center said.

Haiti was already hit in recent weeks by two other storms, Gustav and Fay, which left nearly 120 people dead.

The World Food Program said it was bringing water, food and other humanitarian aid to Haiti by air and sea. The United Nations agency has already delivered food to 14,000 Haitians affected by Gustav.

The two main roads to the cities of Gonaives and Cap Haitien were blocked by fallen trees, complicating the task of humanitarian groups trying to deliver crucial aid, OCHA said.

The UN agency said it would issue an appeal in the coming days for urgent financial aid to help 600,000 people over the next six months.

In Brussels, the European Commission has launched "fast-track" aid action for two million euros (2.9 million dollars) to provide relief for Haitians. Canada announced Saturday it would distribute 600,000 dollars.

Switzerland has pledged aid worth one million Swiss francs (901,000 dollars) and the US Agency for International Development has allocated 100,000 dollars to help the impoverished Caribbean republic, OCHA said.

Michele Pierre-Louis, Haiti's new prime minister who was approved Friday to take office after four months of political standstill, now will have to manage a grim humanitarian crisis.

President Rene Preval said he was distressed by events and urged the international community to rally to Haiti's aid.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News