U.N. seeks $119 million for Haiti hurricane victims

A woman tries to get food at a shelter in the school Liliane Mars Dumarsais Estime in Les Cayes. REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations appealed for $119 million (96.06 million pound) on Monday to bring life-saving assistance to 750,000 people in southwestern Haiti, which is reeling from a direct hit by Hurricane Matthew.

The money will go to provide food, clean drinking water and shelter to the most vulnerable among 1.4 million people in need, after large areas of crops were destroyed and infrastructure was damaged last week, the U.N. said in the three-month appeal to donors.