At least 42 dead and thousands displaced after flooding in Haiti

According to the UN, the severe rains affected 37,000 people and displaced 13,400.

The town of Leogane, located 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince, was particularly badly hit, with damage caused by three flooded rivers.

At least 20 people died there, according to Haitian officials. 

The floods caused extensive material damage across the country, destroying hundreds of homes and damaging several roads.

The heavy toll highlights the country's vulnerability to natural disasters and its failure to mitigate storm risk just as the hurricane season is about to begin.

Even before the floods, nearly half of Haiti's population was in need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that has doubled in just five years, according to the UN.