NEW YORK, USA, 4 June 2009 This years Atlantic storm season began on Monday and many forecasters are expecting that it will not be as intense as last year, which saw 16 tropical storms and eight hurricanes.

Haiti was particularly hard hit. Nearly 800 people were killed and about 800,000 people displaced. The damage to services and infrastructure was estimated at almost one billion dollars. The European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) donated more than 400,000 dollars to UNICEF to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene services to storm victims.

This year, UNICEF and ECHO are intensifying their efforts to effectively and promptly respond to emergencies.

Pre-positioned supplies have been stocked in warehouses across the country. And UNICEF is identifying emergency shelters in every district. The European Commission has reopened its Haiti office so that it can work more closely with its partners.

In a country as fragile as Haiti, prompt response is more crucial than ever. Last year, UNICEF and ECHO were able to ensure that the storms toll was not compounded by disease.

To read the full story, visit http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/haiti_49915.html

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