繼上週漢娜颶風在海地北部港口城市戈納伊夫造成500人喪生後，最新形成的致命颶風艾克，又在鄰近海地首都太子港的卡巴萊市奪走40條人命。
在不到一個月的時間內，4個颶風或熱帶暴風接連襲擊加勒比海地區，其中以海地，這個西半球最貧窮的國家，災情最為慘重。
目前海地國內已有80萬人受到洪水、山崩的影響，聯合國組織已開始提供緊急糧食、水、潔水錠、枕頭等救濟品的援助。
超過半數的海地人一天只靠不到1美元過活，其中430萬人，幾乎是總人口數的一半處於營養不良的狀態。這一連串暴風侵襲，使得海地居民極力對抗糧食燃料價格上漲的艱難情況更是雪上加霜，價格的上漲已迫使海地人民吃的更少，有些家庭也無力再讓孩童上學。在過去3週連續遭受菲、古斯塔夫和漢娜颶風肆虐的海地，現有多達60萬人需要援助。
目前的人道救援行動是由聯合國駐海地穩定特派團、世界糧食計劃署和兒童基金會陸續提供海地政府安全及後勤的協助。
聯合國兒童基金會9月6日表示，在接續不斷的颶風侵襲下，至少有30萬海地兒童受到影響，兒童基金會已提撥100萬美元的資金來協助災民，在海地運作的所有聯合國組織也會在未來幾天發起籌募緊急物資援救行動。
國際紅十字會已發起340萬美元的募款活動，作為支持海地紅十字會的人道援助，而當地紅十字會目前正忙於處理古斯塔夫和漢娜所造成的損害。
海地紅十字會急需這筆資金，做為未來6個月援助5萬名居民之用。根據當地紅十字會專科醫師表示，目前最迫切需要的物資包括基本食品、急救護理用品、重要醫療藥物、乾淨的飲用水和避難所。
Hurricane Ike, the latest of the deadly storms, has killed more than 40 people in Cabaret, a village near Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, in addition to the 500 deaths in the northern port city of Gonaïves caused by Hurricane Hanna last week.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is suffering the most from the four hurricanes and tropical storms that have swept through the Caribbean in less than a month.
In Haiti, where some 800,000 people have been affected by the flooding and lethal mudslides, UN agencies are providing emergency food assistance, water, purification tablets, blankets and other relief supplies.
Over half of Haitians live on less than US$1 a day. Some 4.3 million people, nearly half the population, are undernourished. This series of storms hit just as Haitians were struggling to cope with food and fuel price hikes, which were already forcing people to eat less and some to forgo sending their children to school.
Up to 600,000 people may need assistance in Haiti, which has been struck badly by three storms in three weeks - Faye, Gustav and Hanna.
Since the beginning of the humanitarian emergency, MINUSTAH has been providing security and logistical support to the Haitian authorities as well as the WFP and the UN Children's Fund.
The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, said Saturday that at least 300,000 Haitian children have been affected by the back-to-back hurricanes. UNICEF has made more than $1 million available to help hurricane victims, and a Flash Appeal from all UN agencies operating in Haiti will be launched in the coming days.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched an appeal for US$3.4 million to support the humanitarian operation of the Haitian Red Cross, which has been dealing with the impact of Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna.
The funds are urgently needed to allow the Haitian Red Cross to help some 50,000 people over the next six months. Essential food items, first aid materials, vital medicines, clean drinking water and shelter are among the most urgent needs at this time, according to IFRC specialists on the ground.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
