The hurricane brought on widespread harm to properties, infrastructure and crops, leaving hundreds displaced.
Nevertheless, intensive storm preparation by governments, assisted by UN businesses and different NGOs, seems to have helped reduce the influence and saved lives in lots of areas.
In Cuba, the hurricane struck the province of Santiago de Cuba with winds exceeding 200 km/h per hour and 6 hours of torrential rain. “Melissa is likely one of the three strongest hurricanes ever recorded in Cuba and the strongest worldwide this 12 months,” stated Francisco Pichon, UN Resident Coordinator for Cuba, throughout a press briefing by way of videoconference in New York.
“Greater than three million folks had been uncovered to life-threatening situations, and practically 240 communities are lower off because of flooding and landslides”, he added talking by way of video.
Current vulnerabilities
The storm compounded present vulnerabilities. Many affected areas had already suffered from final 12 months’s Hurricane Oscar and earthquakes – whereas drought, rising viral ailments, and vitality shortages brought on additional pressure.
Regardless of these challenges, Cuba’s civil defence system helped evacuate over 77,000 folks to safety centres, together with colleges briefly repurposed as shelters.
Mr. Pichon highlighted the UN’s anticipatory motion framework, which pre-positioned reduction provides and personnel earlier than the storm hit. “This mechanism allowed us to reply shortly and be sure that important items reached the individuals who wanted them most,” he stated.
Plans are underway to achieve two million folks within the coming days, together with meals safety, well being, training, shelter, water and sanitation, and logistics.
Early preparedness saves lives
In Haiti, the storm’s sluggish motion introduced flash floods, landslides, and extreme harm to crops, stated Gregoire Goodstein, the UN’s interim Humanitarian Coordinator.
“At the very least 24 folks have died, 17 had been injured, and 18 stay lacking,” he reported. Round 15,000 persons are at the moment sheltering in over 120 non permanent services.
Early preparedness helped save lives. “We deployed emergency shares, arrange evacuation shelters, and despatched out 3.5 million early warning messages,” Mr. Goodstein informed journalists. “Speedy response groups labored alongside nationwide authorities to make sure communities might evacuate safely,” he added.
Haiti faces the storm amid an ongoing humanitarian disaster, with 1.4 million folks displaced, widespread starvation affecting half the inhabitants, and cholera outbreaks in some areas.
Mr. Goodstein famous that the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan is at the moment 87 per cent underfunded, placing life-saving operations in danger.
“Humanitarian wants stay immense, and worldwide cooperation is essential.”
The UN continues to coordinate help throughout the Caribbean, supporting each quick reduction and longer-term restoration efforts within the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
