By DPA,
New York : The UN has asked the international community to finance massive humanitarian efforts in Haiti, where 328 people have died and 800,000 became homeless from a series of natural disasters.
The UN humanitarian office made an appeal for $108 million to cover essential relief demands in Haiti for six months.
The island nation has been battered by consecutive tropical storms and hurricanes in the past three weeks, which flooded residential areas, farms and destroyed crops, the UN said.
Haiti was first hit by Troical Storm Fay in mid-August, followed by Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike.
Haiti is one of the world’s poorest nations, with 53 percent of people live on less than $1 a day. Food prices have spiralled upwards by more than 40 percent since the beginning of the year.
“I hope donors will respond generously to help the survivors of these devastating storms, which have affected vast areas of the country, and the population already struggling with effects of poverty and price rises,” said John Holmes, head of the UN humanitarian department.
“As the long-term economic impact is bound to be grave, support for the recovery effort would be crucial,” Holmes said.