CARICOM has extended an arm of friendship to the government and people of Haiti following a devastating earthquake on Tuesday, coupled with heavy flooding that has claimed the lives of several people affecting as many as 40,000

On Wednesday, the 15-member groping said in a statement “Our sincere condolences go out to those who now grieve the loss of loved ones, homes and livelihoods. We extend our arm of friendship to the Government and people of Haiti at this very challenging time and assure them of the continued support and solidarity of member states of the region as they seek to recover from these disasters,”.

51 people had died as a result of rains, 140 were injured and 18 others missing. These are just preliminary statistics. The Departmental Emergency Operation Centers (COUD) said nearly 40,000 families have been affected however the numbers are climbing 

The report warned of landslides and rockfalls across the country making and that several bridges have overflowed their banks. 

The Geological Survey said 4.9-magnitude quake struck in the early hours of the morning

Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry said his government and international partners were taking “urgent measures” to deal with the flooding.