Haiti could get hit hard by Irma

OTTAWA — Hurricane Irma could deal a crippling blow to Haiti while it’s still recovering from hurricane Matthew, which struck less than a year ago, says a Canadian aid worker in the impoverished country.

Preparations were underway Wednesday in the beleaguered Caribbean nation to deal with the potential aftermath of the latest storm.

Haiti is less able to handle the effects of a Category 5 storm than other countries in the region, said Laura Sewell of Ottawa, assistant country director in Haiti for CARE.

“The level of poverty in Haiti is not even comparable to some of the other countries,” said Sewell.

“Haiti has less developed tourist industries and agricultural export industries, so it means there’s sort of a chronic level of vulnerability.”

Aid agencies are preparing for the worst from Irma, which has already caused major flooding and destroyed buildings on several Caribbean islands.

The U.S. National Hurricane Centre said sustained wind speeds reached 295 kilometres per hour.

Haiti’s government issued a warning to residents along the north coast late Wednesday to seek shelter.

The World Food Programme said it had moved a convoy of contingency food supplies to the north of Haiti, where Irma was forecast to pass over or nearby on Thursday night and Friday morning.

CARE said it dispatched teams of aid workers to at least seven of Haiti’s 10 departments, or provinces, with stockpiles of emergency supplies including water purification tablets and tarps that can be used for shelter.

Oxfam Canada said it was also mobilizing its people in northern Haiti, as well as the Dominican Republic and Cuba, to quickly assess humanitarian needs once Irma has passed through the area.

Air Transat said it sent 10 planes to the Dominican Republic to pick up passengers ahead of Irma. Haiti is lacking in government infrastructure, including transportation services, making it difficult to evacuate people.