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Haiti: 19 Killed and Cholera Surge Looms after TS Isaac
- Monday, August 27, 2012 11:34 AM
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - The toll of deaths attributed to the passing of Tropical Storm Isaac continued to climb on Monday morning with 19 reported by the Civil Protection Office. Two others died on Sunday by cholera which often surges after storms and flooding.
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Tempête Tropicale Isaac: Inondations à Port-au-Prince (25 Aout 2012)
Communication infrastructure remains poor and information about the impact of the storm is slowly coming in. With little details, the government agency reported most of the deaths were caused by collapsing homes and fast moving water.
More than 400,000 people still living in tent cities since the January 12, 2010 earthquake endured the 45 mile per hour winds, often peaking at 75 MPH, and rain that Isaac brought as it passed the southwestern peninsula of Haiti. On Sunday, the Haitian government announced 8,000 had been evacuated with 4,000 taken to shelters others moving to other areas.
For those who stayed "from last night, we're in misery... all our children are sleeping in the mud, in the rain," said a Cite Soleil resident. Another, a father of six, said, "they promised they were going to build us a sturdy home and it never came... maybe we don't deserve anything."
Attention is turning towards fighting off a surge in the cholera outbreak that began in October 2010 and has killed 7,000 in Haiti. Already contaminated water sources overflow and make contact with the food supply or cookware. After heavy rains in April more than 200 deaths followed from the illness.
Related 08.23.2012: Haiti Raises Weather Alert to RED ahead of Isaac Landfall
Related 08.22.2012: Haiti: TS Isaac Threatens to be Hurricane by Weekend
