The Haitian government declared a state of emergency for three months in six departments of the country on Sunday due to the damage caused by rains from Hurricane Melissa. The storm left at least 31 dead and 21 missing in this impoverished nation, which has been in a deep crisis for years. This was announced in a press release by the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, which also informed of three days of mourning, from Monday to Wednesday, when the national flag will be flown at half-mast. During this national mourning, nightclubs and similar establishments will remain closed, and radio and television stations, as well as other media, will program music and broadcasts "in accordance with the circumstances." As for the state of emergency declared in the South, Southeast, Grand'Anse, Nippes, West, and Northwest departments, the press release explained that it was decreed to deal with the disastrous consequences of the rains on these territories. This "is to assist the affected populations and to facilitate the restoration of the normal course of life in the affected areas," the information added. The Presidential Transitional Council and the government "are pooling all their efforts to improve the living conditions of the population and restore national dignity," the official communiqué concluded.
