Torrential rains

In the Dominican Republic, which is situated on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, floods, triggered by days of torrential rains, swamped entire villages during the week of May 25. Over 3,300 people died on the island, with thousands more reported missing. Doctors were fighting to prevent multiple epidemics among survivors. Apart from malaria and dengue fever, doctors reported a high incidence of diarrhea, respiratory failure and scabies.