The Haitian civil protection announced on Monday that there were 42 deaths and 11 missing persons after floods and landslides hit seven out of the country's ten departments. According to the UN, more than 13,000 people have been displaced by these bad weather conditions, which have also caused significant material damage.
Heavy rains hit Haiti over the weekend, resulting in at least 42 deaths and 11 missing persons according to the civil protection report on Monday, June 5th. The bad weather caused major floods and landslides in seven out of the ten departments of the country, which is already facing a humanitarian crisis fueled by gang violence.
According to the UN, which reports 15 deaths and 8 missing persons, the rains have affected 37,000 people and caused 13,400 displaced individuals.
The city of Léogane, located 40 km southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince, was particularly affected, as damages were caused by three overflowing rivers. At least 20 people died there, according to initial rescue reports.
"The inhabitants are desperate. They have lost everything. The waters have ravaged their fields and carried away their livestock," described Léogane Mayor Ernson Henry to AFP. Thousands of families are affected by this disaster in his commune, he also stated, emphasizing that the population urgently needs food, clean water, and medication.
Significant material damage
These floods have also caused significant material damage throughout the country, destroying hundreds of houses and damaging several roads.
"Although it is not a cyclone or tropical storm, the damage observed in the affected areas is considerable," lamented Jean-Martin Bauer, coordinator for UN humanitarian action in Haiti, in a statement.
In response, Prime Minister Ariel Henry activated the National Emergency Operations Center (COUN).
This heavy toll highlights the vulnerability of the country to natural disasters and weaknesses in terms of risk reduction, as the cyclone season is just beginning. According to Ernson Henry, work on the watershed of rivers could have reduced the damage in Léogane.
Even before these floods, Haiti was already facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with nearly half of its population in need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that has doubled in just five years, according to the UN.