54 Dead in Haiti Following Hurricane Sandy

While the northeastern United States is still reeling from the impact of mega-storm Sandy, the death toll in Haiti from the hurricane was raised to 54. The United Nations called Haiti the country hit hardest by the storm.

Sandy was the likely cause of some 70 deaths in the Caribbean, with Jamaica and Cuba trying to assess and clean up the damage caused by the storm, reported the BBC.

Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe described the damage from Sandy as a “disaster of major proportions.”

There are concerns that the flooding might exacerbate the cholera problem already hampering the country.

Haitian Civil Protection agency chief, Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, said that two more people were confirmed dead on Wednesday, reported The Associated Press.

Damage was also done in Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas.

“Even before the hurricane we faced serious economic challenges. This has been made worse by the passage of Hurricane Sandy,” Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said, according to the BBC.

In the Bahamas, Sandy may have done as much as $300 million in damage to public infrastructure and private property, AP reported.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.