portauprince at least 42 people were dead and 11 missing in haiti after heavy rains at the weekend triggered flooding and landslides civil protection officials said mondaythe bad weather hit seven of the 10 departments in the country which is already plunged into a protracted humanitarian crisis fueled by gang violence political collapse and economic stagnationaccording to the un the severe rains affected 37000 people and displaced 13400the town of leogane located 40 kilometers 25 miles southwest of the capital portauprince was particularly badly hit with damage caused by three flooded riversat least 20 people died there according to haitian officialsthe residents are desperate they have lost everything the waters have ravaged their fields washed away their livestock leogane mayor ernson henry told afpthousands of families were affected in the town he said stressing that the population urgently needed food drinking water and medicinethe floods caused extensive material damage across the country destroying hundreds of homes and damaging several roadsalthough it is not a hurricane or a tropical storm the damage observed in the affected areas is considerable said jeanmartin bauer un coordinator of humanitarian action in haitiprime minister ariel henry activated the national emergency operation center in responsethe heavy toll highlights the countrys vulnerability to natural disasters and its failure to mitigate storm risk just as the hurricane season is about to begineven before the floods nearly half of haitis population was in need of humanitarian assistance a figure that has doubled in just five years according to the un