Haiti earthquake death toll nears 2,000; no relief in sight

Gulf Today Report

The death toll from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti has risen to 1,941, as survivors clamored for food, shelter and medical care the Caribbean nation's civil protection agency said on Tuesday.

A tropical storm brought torrential downpours on survivors already coping with catastrophe as earthquake damage to several major hospitals hampered humanitarian efforts, and doctors in makeshift tents outside battled to save the lives of the many injured, including young children and the elderly. But they could not help them all.

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More than 9,900 people were wounded when the quake struck the southwestern part of the Caribbean nation on Saturday, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) to the west of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to the updated toll.

People create shelter, facing the severe inclement weather of Tropical Storm Grace near Les Cayes, Haiti on Tuesday. AFP

With more than 60,000 homes destroyed and 76,000 damaged, the United Nations' children's agency UNICEF said that more than half a million children have been affected by the disaster.

In the coastal town of Les Cayes, residents began building makeshift shelters on a football field despite lashing winds and pouring rain as Tropical Storm Grace passed over the country.

So few structures remained standing that people had to relieve themselves in city streets, according to Magalie Cadet, 41, who only had a shower cap to protect against the rain.

Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble of a destroyed building in Les Cayes, Haiti on Tuesday. Reuters

Aftershocks continued to rock the ground in Les Cayes days after the quake, further terrifying the residents.

"Yesterday evening, I took shelter near a church, but when I heard the ground shake again, I ran to return here," said Cadet.

The government has declared a month-long state of emergency in the four provinces affected by the quake.

Rescue workers have pulled out 34 people alive from the rubble in the past 48 hours, authorities said.