This river town of St. Louis du Sud is not ready for the approaching storm. Late yesterday many residents were unaware that the center of extremely dangerous Hurricane Gustav is forecast to pass over this region near Aux Cayes. Photo: ©Randall White

Haiti's crops will be devastated by Category 2 Hurricane Gustav

Satellite image of Hurricane Gustav today
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Haiti Action.net — The agricultural regions of Haiti will be devastated by Hurricane Gustav which could reach Category 2 by landfall later today according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida. In addition to the deadly flash-floods and mudslides that are sure to be suffered, winds in excess of 100 mph will rip apart the food crops that are the only nutritional supply for the peasant population — standing between them and starvation. Many cannot afford the high price of the imported food market dominated by rice from the USA.

Yesterday, there were demonstrations in Aux Cayes and Jacmel protesting the high food prices. The damage caused by Tropical Storm Fay, less than two weeks ago. The UN occupation forces are ill equipped to deal with the aftermath of this storm and the likelihood that the region could see yet another tropical cyclone soon.

Adding to the already crippling effects of malnutrition and poverty evident in Haiti today is a crumbling infrastructure, neither of which has apparently improved despite well-publicized international aid programs totaling more than $3 billion over the past four years.

Critics have once again begun to ask what has happened to the aid money
if the living conditions of Haitians continues to decline whether through grinding poverty or preventable deaths during the hurricane season.

Currently hurricane force winds extend 25 miles outward from the center and tropical storm force winds over 70 miles which will likely create life-threatening conditions in the populous region around the capital of Port au Prince. A costal storm surge 2 to four feet above normal tide levels is likely along the coast near Jacmel.

---- BOOKMARK Haiti Action.net Tropical Cyclone Page for latest updates

Daniel Tillias of Pax Christi explained the goals of the demonstration in Haiti last week marking the one-year anniversary of Mr. Pierre-Antoine’s abduction, "Friends and family of Lovinsky are right now in the streets calling [on] the government to put out a report to say clearly what happened to Lovinsky. If he's dead or if he's in a secret jail somewhere…that they have to do something to release him so he can go back to his family."

HaitiAction.net will host a page with many Tropical Cyclone resources so you can find the latest information when you are searching for current updates. We suggest that you bookmark that page for this busy 2008 Hurricane Season.

View the latest NOAA observations
near Hurricane Gustav

More information, resources and links can be found on the HaitiAction.net Tropical Cyclone Page

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