Haiti is struggling to overcome the impact of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike that hit during August and September this year. In Gonaives, hit worst by the terrible storms, only a fifth of the city has been cleared of the mud that buried much of the town.
Haiti's government says that 60% of the expected harvest was lost and the the hurricane's cost the country some $900 million -- almost a tenth of Haiti's GDP. World Bank President Robert Zoellick described the damage caused by the hurricane as 'eye-popping.'
Haiti is already the hemisphere's poorest country, with the average person earning just $1300 a year and life expectancy at under 58 years. It suffers from severe environmental degradation, widespread poverty and political unrest. Three quarters of the population earns less than $2 a day.
Outreach International has worked in Haiti for many years, providing education to 9000 students through a network of 92 schools. Seven of these schools were destroyed by the hurricane and many more were damaged. Outreach is trying to rehabilitate the damage done to its education program. To read more about this and support this important work, click here.
- Matthew Bolton
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