THE SITUATION IN BRIEF
What You Need to Know
In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew battered parts of Haiti, making it the worst natural disaster to hit the poor island nation since the 2010 earthquake. More than 1,000 people were killed, and an additional 1.4 million people were in need of immediate humanitarian aid.
One of the poorest countries in the world, Haiti struggled to provide relief to those affected by the hurricane, many of whom have lost their homes and were forced to seek refuge in temporary shelters. One of the most pressing concerns was a lack of drinkable water, which many feared would hasten the spread of cholera, dengue fever and other water-borne diseases.