Hurricane Matthew in Haiti

As I am sure many of you know, there is a hurricane that has hit Haiti. Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane, hit Haiti on Tuesday. According to CNN, 336 people have died in Haiti due to Hurricane Matthew. They are expecting that the death toll is higher than the current count. There are also 60,000 people who are displaced from their homes due to this hurricane.

The problems they face are the destruction of roads, communication and power sources being knocked out, many homeless people, death of hundreds of people, and cholera. Cholera is a bacterial disease that impacts the small intestines. It is leads to severe vomiting and diarrhea, and is generally fatal. It is caused by infected water, which the destruction by the hurricane is causing. Cholera was huge problem after the 2010 earthquake that hit Haiti. It killed around 10,000 people after the earthquake hit. Now not only are people in Haiti worried about losing their loved ones, their homes, their livelihood, but now they are afraid of even drinking the water. They have survived a hurricane, but now something as simple as having a sip of water could kill them or their loved ones.

It is well known that Haiti is regularly hit with natural disasters, but it never gets easier to see the destruction they cause every time. I cannot imagine living with that destruction all around me. It has to be beyond devastating to those impacted to not only lose your home, but maybe the people you love most in the world. Then to also live with the fear that the water you, or your children, are drinking could be contaminated with a bacteria that could kill you. I can only hope that these people get the aid they need as quickly as possible. I also hope that they can rebuild what they have lost and maybe create a better system to prepare for another natural disaster that may happen in Haiti again.