Pope Francis has donated $100,000 to victims of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.
The aid was sent through the pontiff's charitable arm and will be used among the island's hardest hit regions. The announcement of Friday was meant to be a "concrete expression of Pope Francis's feelings of spiritual closeness and fatherly support for the people and places" devastated by the storm.
Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the group which made the donation, is the pope's means of giving out emergency aid. It will be supported by help from other Catholic charities and different bishops' conferences who may also choose to donate.
Christian agencies have been at the forefront of humanitarian support in Haiti after more than 1,000 died and thousands more lost their homes. The powerful wind caused havoc in the Caribbean island leaving crops destroyed and livestock swept away.
The Catholic charity Caritas Haiti have launched an emergency appeal for food and sanitation packs as the fear of a cholera outbreak continue. Fr Jean-Hervé Francois, director general of Caritas Haiti, described the destruction as "beyond anything that we could have imagined".
The charity asked for €250,000 to provide aid for 13,500 people in the worst hit areas.
Christian Aid have also launched an appeal, saying: "Hurricane Matthew has swept through Haiti, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
"We've been working in Haiti for nearly 20 years. Our partners helped evacuate people to shelters as Hurricane Matthew approached, and made sure that the shelters were stocked with food over the weekend. Now they're assessing the damage the storm has caused and working out how best to help people.
"Please give whatever you can today to our Hurricane Matthew Appeal so that our partners can support communities to get back on their feet sooner rather than later."
