The death toll from the earthquake that struck Haiti last weekend rose by almost 250 on Wednesday to 2,189, according to the Caribbean nation's civil protection agency. Hundreds of people are still unaccounted for.
"The toll from the earthquake is 2,189," the agency said on Twitter.
More than 12,260 people were injured when the quake hit the southwestern part of Haiti on Saturday, about 160 kilometers to the west of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to the updated toll.
The civil protection agency added that 332 people have been reported missing and rescue operations are ongoing.
Haïti-Séisme
— L'enquête Haïti (@EnqueteHaiti) August 19, 2021
La protection civile a estimé environ
600 000 familles sont en état de vulnérabilité dans le grand Sud.
1941 personnes décédées et plus de 9900 blessées selon un bilan partiel.@EnqueteHaiti pic.twitter.com/QReVASVbpD
"There are around 600,000 people who were directly affected and who need immediate humanitarian assistance," said Jerry Chandler, speaking from the emergency operations center in the capital Port-au-Prince.
"We have to find ways of ensuring security, which remains a significant challenge."
Tens of thousands of buildings were destroyed and damaged in the impoverished country still recovering from a devastating earthquake in 2010.
Haiti has also been beleaguered by gang violence, Covid-19, and political chaos, which spiked last month after the assassination of president Jovenel Moise.
The government has declared a month-long state of emergency in the four provinces affected by the quake.
