The death toll in Haiti has soared after rescue crews began reaching remote corners cut off when Hurricane Matthew blasted the country's south-west peninsula - the first Category 4 storm to hit the country in more than 50 years.

At least 283 people died in just one part of Haiti's south west, the region that bore the brunt of the storm, said Emmanuel Pierre, an Interior Ministry co-ordinator in Les Cayes.

The overall death toll is not clear. Shortly before Mr Pierre spoke, the headquarters for Haiti's Civil Protection Agency had put the number of confirmed deaths for the whole country at 122.

In Geneva, the International Red Cross has announced an emergency appeal for 6.9 million US dollars (£5.6 million) to provide medical aid, shelter, water, and sanitation assistance to 50,000 people in south-western Haiti.

Unicef says it needs 5 million dollars (£4 million) to meet children's immediate needs in Haiti.

The World Food Programme said it has enough food on the ground for 300,000 people for a month, and is deploying its best logisticians to help distribute it.

Authorities expect the number of deaths to rise, with local officials in marooned areas reporting higher numbers. Most deaths are thought to have occurred in the south west.

Bodies started to appear as waters receded in some places two days after Matthew's 145mph winds smashed concrete walls, flattened palm trees and tore roofs off homes, forcing thousands to flee.

Officials are especially concerned about the department of Grand-Anse on the northern tip of the peninsula, where they believe the death toll and damage is highest. The 283 deaths reported on Friday did not include Grand-Anse or other nearby areas.

"Devastation is everywhere," said Pilus Enor, mayor of the town of Camp Perrin. "Every house has lost its roof. All the plantations have been destroyed. This is the first time we see something like this."

People faced an immediate hunger crisis in Grand-Anse's largest city of Jeremie, said Maarten Boute, chairman of telecom firm Digicel Haiti, who flew there in a helicopter.

In the nearby seaport of Les Cayes, many people searched for clean water as they lugged mattresses and other belongings they were able to salvage.

Interior minister Francois Anick Joseph said food and water are urgently needed, noting that crops have been levelled, wells inundated by sea water and some water treatment facilities destroyed.

The Pan American Health Organisation warned of a possible surge in cholera cases because of the widespread flooding.

Haiti's cholera outbreak has killed roughly 10,000 people since 2010, when it was introduced into the country's biggest river from a United Nations base where Nepalese peacekeepers were deployed.

Before hitting Haiti, the storm was blamed for four deaths in the Dominican Republic, one in Colombia and one in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Haiti's government has estimated at least 350,000 people need some kind of assistance.