Haiti is facing a “major food crisis” and the international community is falling short of helping it to recover from Hurricane Matthew, the country’s interim president has said.

Jocelerme Privert said Haitians were suffering from higher levels of malnutrition and were unable to take action during the upcoming winter planting season due to the scale of the damage.

“I don’t want Haitian citizens to die because of the inability of international assistance,” Mr Privert told BBC News. “But I want the world to understand that we Haitians want to get back to work.

“Let’s take the winter planting season which looms and for which we need to begin to have mobilised this month. There needs to be somewhere between $25 million and $30 million dollars in order to do that.

“Right now we have only been able to come up with about $2.5m of aid. If we don’t manage to relaunch agriculture then in two, three, four months we will find ourselves before a major food crisis.”

Mr Privert urged the international community to help more with the recovery effort, as 2.1 million people were affected by the hurricane and a large portion of the country was devastated by high winds.

The government of Haiti estimates 1.5 million people need immediate assistance, including more than 140,000 people who are living in temporary shelters.

Hurricane Matthew hits the US Show all 18 1 /18 Hurricane Matthew hits the US Hurricane Matthew hits the US COCOA BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 07: Metal is wrapped around a palm tree due to the heavy winds of Hurricane Matthew, October 7, 2016 on Cocoa Beach, Florida. Hurricane Matthew passed by offshore as a catagory 3 hurricane bringing heavy winds and minor flooding. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US Heavy rain and wind blow in an area near Atlantic Beach, Florida, on October 7, 2016, as hurricane Matthew approaches the area. Hurricane Matthew unleashed torrential rains and up to 120 mile-an-hour winds as it hugged the Florida coast Friday, after a blast through the Caribbean that reportedly left at least 400 dead in Haiti. / AFP / Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US National Guard units 1782 and 172 of Chester and Lancaster, South Carolina, board vehicles while deploying for duty for Hurricane Matthew service in Conway, South Carolina, U.S. October 6, 2016. REUTERS/Randall Hill - RTSR201 REUTERS Hurricane Matthew hits the US A fallen tree is seen outside a house after Hurricane Matthew hits in Melbourne, Florida, U.S., October 7, 2016. REUTERS/Henry Romero - RTSR89S Hurricane Matthew hits the US Sandbags are seen in front of a business ahead of Hurricane Matthew in Georgetown, South Carolina October 6, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Keane - RTSR43O REUTERS Hurricane Matthew hits the US An elderly man rests his head at a shelter for evacuees in a high school hallway before the arrival of Hurricane Matthew in North Charleston, South Carolina on October 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake - RTSR8WK REUTERS Hurricane Matthew hits the US A resident walks past a wall of sandbags protecting a store in one of the city's low-lying areas before the arrival of Hurricane Matthew, in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., October 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake - RTSR7SH REUTERS Hurricane Matthew hits the US Homeowner Don Appell prepares to board up one of the windows at his home ahead of Hurricane Matthew in Cherry Grove, South Carolina, U.S. October 6, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Keane - RTSR2RD REUTERS Hurricane Matthew hits the US ST AUGUSTINE, FL - OCTOBER 07: Cars are seen in a flooded parking lot as Hurricane Matthew passes through the area on October 7, 2016 in St Augustine, Florida. Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have all declared a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US PORT ORANGE, FL - OCTOBER 07: Metal lies on the ground at a gas station damaged by the heavy winds of Hurricane Matthew, October 7, 2016 on Port Orange, Florida. Hurricane Matthew passed by offshore as a catagory 3 hurricane bringing heavy winds and minor flooding. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US DAYTONA BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 7: A view of a collapsed roof at a gas station after Hurricane Matthew passes through on October 7, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have all declared a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US DAYTONA BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 7: A vehicle drives through water on International Speedway Boulevard after Hurricane Matthew passes through on October 7, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have all declared a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 07: U.S. President Barack Obama (C) talks with reporters after meeting with members of his national security and disaster response teams to discuss Hurricane Matthew in the Oval Office at the White House October 7, 2016 in Washington, DC. The hurricane is now a category 3 and is headed for Florida after wreaking havoc in Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US A US flag blows in the wind in Atlantic Beach, Florida, on October 7, 2016, as hurricane Matthew approaches the area. Hurricane Matthew unleashed torrential rains and up to 120 mile-an-hour winds as it hugged the Florida coast Friday, after a blast through the Caribbean that reportedly left at least 400 dead in Haiti. / AFP / Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US COCOA BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 07: Heavy waves caused by Hurricane Matthew pounds the boat docks at the Sunset Bar and Grill, October 7, 2016 on Cocoa Beach, Florida. Hurricane Matthew passed by offshore as a catagory 3 hurricane bringing heavy winds and minor flooding. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US ORMOND BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 7: A downed tree from high winds rests against a car in a residential community after Hurricane Matthew passes through on October 7, 2016 in Ormond Beach, Florida. Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have all declared a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US FORT PIERCE, FL - OCTOBER 07: Tree branches that snapped off trees are seen blocking the road after Hurricane Matthew passed through the area on October 7, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. The hurricane is expected to make landfall sometime this evening or early in the morning as a possible category 4 storm. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Hurricane Matthew hits the US COCOA BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 07: Palm trees sway from the winds of Hurricane Matthew, October 7, 2016 on Cocoa Beach, Florida. Hurricane Matthew passed by offshore as a category 3 hurricane bringing heavy wind and some flooding. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Getty Images

Politicians said around $2 billion (£1.5 billion) of structural damage was caused - equivalent to Haiti’s entire national budget - by the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean in a decade.