The lack of fresh drinking water and the destruction of the already limited sewerage system is causing mosquito infestation, diarrhoea and dengue fever, and most areas are without electricity. The immediate concern is the lack of water, food and medicines, says Jasmine Huggins, Christian Aid's Programme Officer for the Dominican Republic. Eighty-five per cent of the Dominican Republic s agriculture has been wiped out, so farmers need to start planting again soon to if they are to avoid a major food shortage. The areas worst hit by the hurricane in the east of the country are the poorest and the most inaccessible, and much of the work done by Christian Aid's partners in these areas has been severely set back. In Haiti the damage appears to be less, though 100 people were killed and hundreds of thousands have been made homeless by flooding and the collapse of buildings.
Water contamination is also a serious risk.
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