WASHINGTON — Hurricane Matthew is now a post-tropical cyclone, but it has left behind plenty of destruction in its wake.
In Haiti, the situation continues to worsen and the death toll continues to climb, nearing 900 according to several reports. The United Nations reports that 750,000 people in Haiti need emergency aid following the storm. The hurricane is being called one of worst storms to hit the island nation in 50 years.
Relief organizations are finding it difficult to deliver life-saving support and supplies to areas hardest hit by Matthew. Relief workers also are battling new outbreaks of cholera.
Audrey Lecomte, emergency head of mission for Handicap International in Haiti, said her team arrived in Port-au-Prince about three days ago. She said it has been tough since communications have been down and relief organizations are having a difficult time assessing the extent of the devastation, especially in areas that were hardest hit by the storm and are no longer accessible.
Areas in the southwestern region of Haiti, such as Jeremie, have been almost entirely destroyed. Handicap International said that access to these regions remains nearly impossible and will be for several days or weeks.
Lecomte said the organization has immediate plans to get aid into to these areas as soon as possible.
Handicap International plans to distribute repair kits so that families can make emergency repairs to their homes. The organization will distribute cooking kits and plans to distribute water purification tablets in an effort to avoid the spread of epidemics, such as cholera, which is spread through contaminated water.
