UN calls for massive mobilization of resources to face devastation in Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa
Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, causing severe flooding, tearing roofs off buildings, and rendering roads impassable
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his solidarity with Jamaicans struggling to recover from the devastating consequences of Hurricane Melissa.
In a telephone conversation with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the UN chief emphasized that international support is crucial for the The country can cope with the effects of the Category 5 storm, which brought torrential rains, storm surges, and catastrophic flooding.
Hurricane Melissa equaled the 1935 record for the most intense hurricane to make landfall in Jamaica, according to weather data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In the face of the devastation, Guterres called for the mobilization of “massive resources to address the losses and damage caused by the hurricane.”
Five days after the most powerful storm in Jamaica's history made landfall on the west side of the island, many residents are still waiting for aid to arrive. Numerous roads remain inaccessible, and some communities are without electricity or drinking water. Meanwhile, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, allocated four million dollars from the Central Emergency Fund (CERF) to enable agencies to scale up humanitarian operations in Jamaica. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on Saturday that the hurricane affected more than 700,000 children in the Caribbean. The storm also made landfall in Cuba and caused chaos in western Haiti.
UNICEF is supporting the Jamaican government in providing assistance to more than 284,000 children, addressing their urgent needs for nutrition, access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as mental health support.
International solidarity is a lifeline
Tom Fletcher recalled that in times like these, “international solidarity is not just a principle, it is a lifeline.”
and detailed that a team from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was deployed to Jamaica to strengthen coordination and information management.UN agencies and NGOs are helping to restore access, provide emergency health and water services, and assist communities whose homes, schools, and hospitals have been severely affected.