Storm damage in Haiti has reached $1 billion

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According to Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, the damages caused by the storms in Haiti this summer already reached as much as $1 billion.

President Robert Zoellick visited Haiti for three days. In an interview, he said that the amount of damaged properties is a lot for Haiti where more than 8 million people live. Aside from the damage in the properties, many people have loss their lives as well. The devastation is all over the country and it simply makes you wonder where God is during these times.

Last year, the GDP or the Gross Domestic Product of Haiti is about $11.4 billion. Without a doubt, the amount of loss caused by the storms is enormous for such country.

The World Bank president has urged those who are kind-hearted to give financial donations or money support in order to help Haiti. And to make them imagine how terrible the devastation is, he compared it to the Hurricane Katrina. He said that it is almost like the Hurrican Katrina affected the whole United States and worse it affected a very poor country.

Since August until September this year, there are at least four tropical storms that have swamped Haiti. These intense storms have brought floods to most areas of the country. As a result, many homes were lost and at least 900 people were already found dead.

President Robert Zoellick also recalled that the World Bank recently announced that it would donate as much as $25 million to Haiti. They would also give extra emergency grants so that the country will be aided in rebuilding bridges and repairing other infrastructures as well. Haiti – a poverty-stricken country in the Western Hemisphere, has also received $10 million worth of grant from World Bank so that the government will have a support and may be able to respond to the surging prices of essential commodities such as food.

Furthermore, the World Bank has the intention to help Haiti in rebuilding its country particularly the reforestation, drainage, watershed management, as well as soil protection. President Robert Zoellick also said that some of the insurance programs that were developed in other richer countries may also be used here in Haiti.

After visiting the areas in Haiti that were badly beaten by the storms, President Robert Zoellick have seen that the people were still living in shelters and that the effects of the intense floods were still obvious if you look at the infrastructures such as roads, bridges, and homes.