Following the passage of Hurricane Matthew on Tuesday, the Haitian government has appealed to the international community for

immediate humanitarian assistance. In the meantime, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has announced that elections will not

take place this Sunday, 9 October, and that a new date will be announced by next Wednesday at the latest, after consultation with various stakeholders.

Matthew is now the most powerful Atlantic storm since 2007 and the most powerful hurricane to hit Haiti in 52 years. The hurricane

made landfall near Les Anglais in southwestern Haiti at 7 am on Tuesday bringing 145 mph winds and torrential rains to the

impoverished country, which continues to struggle with food insecurity, while recovering from the 2010 earthquake, with 55,000

people still living in shelters.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are mobilizing resources to aid the people of Haiti.