Caribbean nations receive life-saving support following devastation of Hurricane Melissa

Torrential rain, storm surges, and landslides caused by the hurricane have left a trail of destruction across the region, with homes flattened, roads and bridges washed away, and vast areas still without power or Internet access and other telecommunications.

The UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) said that aid supplies are on the way and that emergency teams are supporting government responses in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti.

Jamaica, food support

In Jamaica, the World Food Programme (WFP) has assisted the Government with logistics, communications, and cash-based support, delivering 5,000 food kits — enough to feed 15,000 people for a week.

The situation in the southern part of the country remains “apocalyptic”, with homes submerged, roads blocked, and people sleeping in the streets, said Brian Bogart, WFP Country Director.

Despite this, Mr Bogart noted that prior preparedness efforts had helped speed up the response but emphasised that Jamaica’s resilience “must now be supported.”

The UN is deploying emergency medical teams, supporting water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) efforts, providing psychological care, and assisting with disease surveillance.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is preparing to send 5.5 tons of humanitarian aid, including health and trauma kits, medical backpacks, tents, water supplies, mosquito nets, and personal protective equipment.

More than 284,000 Jamaican children are now in urgent need of support in the areas of health, education, nutrition, and protection, said the local UN child agency (UNICEF) team.

“Yesterday, we were on our way to Black River in St Elizabeth, one of the hardest hit areas but the roads were blocked with fallen trees and power lines and this prevented us from reaching the most affected communities,” said the top UNICEF official on the island, Olga Isaza.

The agency is responding swiftly to support the Government and other partners to assess the needs and deliver pre-positioned supplies including food, clean water, medicines, and emergency hygiene kits. Additional humanitarian aid is ready to be airlifted.

Cuba, health assistance

Meanwhile, from its Regional Strategic Stockpile in Panama, PAHO has dispatched 2.6 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba.

The shipment includes emergency kits with medicines, medical, and surgical supplies sufficient to care for 5,000 people for three months. It also includes chlorine tablets to treat millions of litres of water, along with essential medical and shelter supplies.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that in eastern Cuba, “preliminary assessments indicate severe damage across Santiago, Holguín, Granma, and Guantánamo, including to homes, roads, and health facilities,” adding that “hundreds of communities remain isolated, and access continues to be hampered by damaged road, rail, and air transport infrastructure.”

Once ground communications are restored, supplies will be sent to the most affected areas of eastern Cuba.

Mr Dujarric said that the UN “along with our partners are supporting national authorities with assessments and early recovery plans.”  

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This story was first published by UN News.