The latest fatalities figure came from a Haitian government source, who told EFE that 820 people had been confirmed dead. "The destruction is very considerable," interim President Jocerlerme Privert said. He added that several countries have offered assistance to Haiti, which still has not recovered from the 2010 earthquake that killed around 300,000 people, injured a similar number and left 1.5 million homeless.Non-government organizations expressed concern about a potential worsening of Haiti’s humanitarian crisis in the wake of the hurricane. In a statement, Oxfam stressed the urgent need to guarantee supplies of safe water and hygiene kits to protect against the spread of diseases such as cholera, an epidemic that affected the country after the 2010 earthquake. Several countries on Friday announced plans for immediate aid deliveries to the poorest country in the Americas, including France and Spain.EPA

Source: The Nation Bangkok October 08, 2016 01:18 UTC