Jamaica responds to Haiti appeal as death toll climbs to 339.

The Private Sector Organisation of  Jamaica (PSOJ) has responded to the appeal for help from the Office of  Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) for Haiti.

Dennis Chung, Chief  Executive Officer of  the PSOJ, told RJR News that letters were sent out to members on Thursday to coordinate a relief  response for Haiti.

Meanwhile, Food for the Poor Jamaica is appealing for the donation of cash and canned food items for the recovery effort in Haiti. An account has been set up at National Commercial Bank- 471043885. Cheques can also be made payable to Food for the Poor and dropped off at the charity's Spanish Town headquarters. Donations may also be made to the U.S. Paypal account www.foodforthepoor.org/hurricane.

Collection points have been established at various locations, including RJR/TVJ at 32 Lyndhurst Road and The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited at 7 North Street. Some of  the other locations are Food for the Poor's head office, Stella Maris Church, Saints Peter and Paul Church, and the Roman Catholic Diocese in Montego Bay.

The number of  people known to have been killed by Hurricane Matthew in the Caribbean is now running into the hundreds. Authorities in Haiti have put the figure at 339.

The extent of the destruction in that nation’s worst disaster since the huge earthquake in 2010 is beginning to become apparent. The storm flattened whole neighbourhoods. In the city of  Jeremie 80 per cent of  buildings have been destroyed.

Most of the casualties came in towns and villages in Haiti’s southwest. In Sud province 30,000 homes were destroyed.