This archive report was first published on 7 September 2019.
Published on September 7, 2019, a devastating Hurricane Dorian left a trail of destruction in the Bahamas, claiming 43 lives and leaving thousands in need of assistance.
Rescuers worked tirelessly to pluck desperate survivors from the debris, while over 260 residents of Abaco Island arrived in Nassau, the capital city, after a grueling seven-hour ferry ride.
Among the evacuees was Diane Forbes, who frantically searched for her two sons, last heard from on Tuesday, amidst the chaos at a Nassau gymnasium.
"They said they were hungry and the scent of the bodies, the dead, was really getting to them... I don't know if my son is alive or not," Forbes said, her voice filled with worry.
Health Minister Duane Sands confirmed the new death toll, up from 30, while Prime Minister Hubert Minnis's spokeswoman, Erica Wells Cox, warned that the number was expected to grow significantly.
As the multinational relief effort struggled to reach affected areas, UN relief officials estimated that over 70,000 people, nearly the entire population of Grand Bahama and Abaco, required assistance.
The US Coast Guard and private organizations were evacuating residents to Nassau, while the relief effort faced challenges due to flood damage, destroyed infrastructure, and downed communications.
