United Nations Radio

Hurricane Ike - the latest of a series of deadly storms to move through the Caribbean - has killed more than 50 people in northern Haiti.

Most of the deaths occurred in the town of Cabaret. The number of casualties of back-to-back hurricanes in Haiti has been updated to 500 around the town of Gonaives.

Hurricane Ike also battered northern Cuba overnight with giant waves and torrential rains.

Reports say some 800,000 people were evacuated along the northern Cuban cost and most of the homes in the area have been severely damaged.

Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, Elizabeth Byers, expressed concern saying the Office is still awaiting a full assessment on Cuba:

"There is no electricity. There is no communication phone line, they are non-functioning. And it is estimated that it will take a month to repair the lines and there have been considerable damage to the schools, to the roofs of the public buildings."

Hurricane Ike also struck the Turks and Caicos Islands damaging as much as 80 per cent of the homes.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

(duration: 1'03")