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Latest reports indicate wind speeds have reached 165 mph (270 km/h) while storm surges of 13 feet (3.9 meters) are expected to hit the Caribbean island nation. Conditions are expected to worsen significantly, with a third of the island already facing power outages, in what US hurricane forecasters describe as “an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation”. The World Food Program (PAM) is coordinating a sealift operation from Barbados, carrying critical supplies from the International Organization for Migration, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), And PAM himself. “Some 2,000 relief kits are also expected to be deployed once airports reopen and weather conditions permit flights,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said. Working with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and a joint aid center established in Barbados, WFP is playing a “decisive” role in the ongoing disaster response, with support from the European Union and Canada, Dujarric said. UN steps up relief efforts The slow-moving hurricane is expected to make landfall overnight local time in northeastern Cuba, with authorities planning to evacuate around half a million people to safer grounds. In Haiti, authorities have placed the departments of Sud and Grand’Anse on red alert, while other areas remain on orange alert. “More than 3,600 people are housed in emergency sites in the Grand Sud department, with IOM support the accommodation of 3,000 people as a preventative measure and the creation of 100 shelters,” underlined Mr. Dujarric. Additionally, the UN and its partners continue to work closely with the Haitian authorities to support preparedness and rapid action. Here’s what UN agencies have planned so far: WFP has prepositioned more than 800 tons of food to help 86,000 people in Haiti for two weeks. UNICEF has pre-positioned water, sanitation and hygiene kits for approximately 14,500 people and nutritional supplies for more than 4,000 children. The United Nations reproductive health agency (UNFPA) has stockpiled reproductive health kits for 5,000 people and dignity kits for 4,000 people. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), led by WHO, has provided medical kits to around 11,000 people. “Violent winds” The latest forecasts indicate winds reaching 280 km/h – stronger than initially expected, according to the UNESCO Representative in Jamaica, Eric Falt. “People often neglect the storm surge,” he explained to us, “which can raise sea levels by three or four meters.” He also pointed out that Hurricane Melissa is a slow-moving storm, which poses a major problem. “It can stay over an area for 12 hours, or even two days or more, causing massive accumulation of water.” Highlighting the Jamaican government’s “extraordinary” level of preparedness and the strong sense of solidarity across the Caribbean, the UNESCO representative noted that, despite the UN’s considerable preparedness efforts, “nature ultimately dictates its will.” He added that UN agencies continue to work closely together to respond to the evolving situation.
