Death toll reaches 42 in Haiti after floods

The death toll from heavy flooding that hit Haiti over the weekend rose to 42, with another 11 people missing, authorities said Monday.

At least 85 people were injured and more than 13,600 houses were flooded, forcing the population to evacuate, according to Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency.

The rains hit the western, northwest, southeast and central regions of Haiti, authorities said.

Since then, the weather has improved, but many crops have been damaged amid a surge in famine and people try to find temporary shelters after rain turned roads into rushing rivers of brown water.

The World Food Program indicated that tens of thousands of people have been affected, with the greatest damage reported in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and in the western region of Haiti.

“A significant weather-induced event of this level so early in the hurricane season… raises concerns about the ability to provide a sustained response should extreme weather incidents continue to occur,” the agency warned.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has claimed that he requested international aid.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.