Storm hit earthquake-ravaged Haiti

While Chile has started trying to bounce back from its recent earthquake Haitians have been hindered by Mother Nature in their recovery efforts.

At least thirteen Haitians were killed over the past few days as the Caribbean entered the rainy season. Rains and flooding have been reported as greater than normal partly as a result of a weak El Niño this year. Though the strongest precipitation is expected to fall in May, over 3500 families were evacuated from the southern part of Haiti over the weekend.

Especially hurt by the stormy weather are the hundreds of thousands of Haitians residing in tent camps and other post-earthquake makeshift edifices. The need to find safe and reliable shelter for Haitians has become a serious concern for international aid groups:

Getting the 1.3 million homeless quake survivors in Haiti under shelter before the onset of the country's wet season in the next couple of months is a top priority, UN and Red Cross officials said yesterday.

"We recognize that the rainy season represents a very grave threat to the quake-affected people in the improvised settlements. And the floods in the southwest over the weekend were a reminder of what's to come," Red Cross spokesman Alex Wynter said.

Worse still is the threat of epidemics breaking out in camps such as “Saint-Louis de Gonzague, which has one portable toilet for 10,000 people.” As the rainy season continues time may be running out for those trying to survive after January’s tremor.

Image- Al Jazeera English
Online Sources- BBC News, Reuters, AccuWeather, Montreal Gazette, Guardian UK