"As if the struggling island's food woes were not painful enough, poor Haitian families and farmers are being brought to their knees by a series of severe storms.

The high-powered winds of Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna have passed, but the torrential rains and flooding have not ceased.

'The whole country is now affected by severe flooding and heavy rains,' stated Alix Innocent, director of Catholic Relief Services' emergency unit in Port-au-Prince. 'The situation is getting worse throughout the country.'"