Heavy rains over several days have struck northwestern Haiti, killing at least 12 people, according to authorities. The Civil Protection Agency said the downpours started on Saturday and continued through Monday, leaving flooded farmland in their wake and damaging housing and key services.
In its statement, the Civil Protection Agency said the flooding also affected transportation and access in some communities. Local authorities reported that roads were flooded to the point that they could not reach areas that urgently need food and other basic goods.
The impact was particularly severe in towns that included Port-de-Paix, Saint Louis du Nord and Anse-a-Foleur, where authorities said the rains damaged hundreds of homes. The flooding also reached a local hospital, while more than 900 homes were reported damaged by the storms.
Authorities also said the weather disrupted infrastructure beyond housing. They reported that a bridge was destroyed and that dozens of roads were damaged, with crops harmed as well.
Officials said some of the hardest-hit conditions forced local response measures, including shuttering schools and businesses in some towns because of the bad weather and flooding.
Haiti’s vulnerability to food shocks is a major concern as rains disrupt crops and undermine access to essentials. More than half of Haiti’s nearly 12 million inhabitants face high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the report, increasing the stakes for communities already struggling to obtain food and basic supplies after the flooding.