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UN relief wing calls for more funding efforts to help Haitians affected by hurricane

Xinhua, October 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to appeal to the international community for 120 million U.S. dollars in emergency funding to provide life-saving relief to 750,000 Haitians affected by Hurricane Matthew, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Friday.

"The Appeal is currently 13 percent funded," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. "The requested funding is vital to support the response of the Haitian authorities and civil society to cover critical needs of the affected populations such as safe water, food, shelter, and sanitation to prevent water-borne infectious diseases."

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that they are supporting the government of Haiti in providing emergency food assistance to 750,000 people in regions battered on Oct. 4 by Hurricane Matthew.

WFP's food distributions began on Oct. 8 in Jeremie, he said, adding that so far, around 30,000 people, mostly living in shelters, have received rations.

"WFP says they are using trucks and helicopters to transport food as quickly as possible to save lives," he said.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is also working to vaccinate 500,000 people against cholera in affected areas, he said. "A water treatment unit has arrived in Haiti and was transported to Jeremie. It is expected to be fully operational to respond to the needs of up 16,000 people daily by tomorrow."

The UN Peacekeeping Mission in the country (MINUSTAH) reported that UN Police and Haitian National Police conducted a total of 159 joint patrols throughout Haiti on Thursday, he said.

The UN Mission is providing security to food and water distribution efforts undertaken by UN agencies in Jeremie, as well as to humanitarian agency warehouses in Les Cayes and Jeremie, he said. "Peacekeepers also continue to provide security to relief and aid convoys in various parts of the country."

UN Secretary-General will travel to Haiti on Saturday to visit the areas hardest hit by the hurricane. Endit