- Title: Residents of Haiti's tent cities brace for approaching Hurricane Matthew
- Date: 30th September 2016
- Summary: PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI (SEPTEMBER 30, 2016) (REUTERS) MAN WALKING BETWEEN TENTS FAMILIES LIVING IN TENTS MORE OF TENTS WOMAN WITH HER THREE CHILDREN SITTING DOWN WOMAN WORKING SHANTY HOUSES (SOUNDBITE) (Creole) LOCAL, MARCEL DERVIL, SAYING: "They've announced a hurricane. We're keeping watch. We can't do anything. We could have repaired our homes, but we do not have money. We can't do anything but watch." VARIOUS OF MORE OF WOMAN WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Creole) LOCAL, GUERLINE DERVIL, SAYING: "We haven't prepared anything. We are waiting to see what they (authorities) are going to do for us. We have children. We can't breathe in rubbish. I think those responsible should move us to another area. We have no other place to live. The children are crying because they're hungry. We don't know what to do. Our homes have been destroyed. The tents have been destroyed. We are waiting to see what they are going to do for us. We don't have any money. We should have left here. We are poor. We don't have anything to eat. We can't do anything." VEHICLE IN CITY AID SUPPLIES FOR HURRICANE LOCALS LOCALS CALLING FOR HELP FROM AUTHORITIES (SOUNDBITE) (Creole) MAYOR OF PETIONVILLE, DOMINIQUE ST-ROCH, SAYING: "We have started to work. We've cleaned the rivers two weeks ago in preparation for hurricane season. We are all available here and here we have members of civil protection. We have received medicine." VARIOUS OF AID TO BE DISTRIBUTED WATER AND JUICE FOR DISTRIBUTION (SOUNDBITE) (Creole) OFFICIAL FROM CIVIL PROTECTION, CASTEL MOISE, SAYING: "Here in the community we have ten provisional shelters. We call on everyone to go to these shelters if necessary, if in a dangerous situation." MOISE LOOKING OVER SUPPLIES CIVIL PROTECTION OFFICIALS MORE OF AID SUPPLIES GENERAL VIEW OF LOCAL AREA VARIOUS OF SHANTY HOUSES SUBURB
- Embargoed: 16th October 2016 00:23
- Keywords: Haiti preparations Hurricane Mathew Caribbean
- Location: PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI / INTERNET
- City: PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI / INTERNET
- Country: Haiti
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA00151RFMTF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Residents of Port-au-Prince's tent cities hankered down on Friday (September 30) as Hurricane Matthew churned its way towards the island nation, marking the Caribbean's first major hurricane in four years with winds of up to 140 miles per hour (220 kph) powerful enough to wreck houses, forecasters said.
Matthew was about 465 miles (750 km) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and the U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC) designated it as a Category 4, the second strongest on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity.
It is forecast to make landfall as a major storm on Monday (October 3) on Jamaica's palm-fringed southern coast but Matthew is also forecast to skim past the south coast of Haiti, bringing tropical storm conditions.
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians still live in makeshift camps as a result of its January 2010 earthquake.
With Hurricane Matthew now on its way, the residents of Haiti's tent cities are expected to feel the brunt of the extreme weather conditions.
"They've announced a hurricane. We're keeping watch. We can't do anything. We could have repaired our homes, but we do not have money. We can't do anything but watch," said local Marcel Dervil.
Those in Haiti's tent cities are amongst the country's poorest and do not have the resources to stock up on supplies ahead of the hurricane.
"We haven't prepared anything. We are waiting to see what they (authorities) are going to do for us. We have children. We can't breathe in rubbish. I think those responsible should move us to another area. We have no other place to live. The children are crying because they're hungry. We don't know what to do. Our homes have been destroyed. The tents have been destroyed. We are waiting to see what they are going to do for us. We don't have any money. We should have left here. We are poor. We don't have anything to eat. We can't do anything," said tent city resident, Guerline Dervil.
In the Port-au-Prince suburb of Petionville, residents headed to the headquarters of the local government calling for assistance ahead of Matthew.
Petionville Mayor Dominique St-Roch talked up preparations for hurricane season.
"We have started to work. We've cleaned the rivers two weeks ago in preparation for hurricane season. We are all available here and here we have members of civil protection. We have received medicine," he said.
Civil protection officials are also on guard to provide assistance and distribute aid to families. Ten shelters have been established for residents.
"Here in the community we have ten provisional shelters. We call on everyone to go to these shelters if necessary, if in a dangerous situation," said civil protection official, Castel Moise.
The storm has already killed one person in St. Vincent and the Grenadines earlier in the week before it was upgraded to a hurricane. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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