Continuing to work closely with UN Resident Coordinators and Country Teams, the UN will deploy additional staff to Cuba and Jamaica this week, as part of broader efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness and coordinate response operations on the ground.
In a post on X, OCHA said preparations in Cuba had been strengthened, including:
- More than 100 tons of rice for the eastern part of the country
- Hygiene kits for 6,500 people
- Fuel vouchers
- Ongoing prevention messages
Additionally, the UN has allocated around $4 million for Cuba from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) ahead of the storm.
Additionally, special attention is being paid to Haiti, a nation already struggling with gang violence, disease and gender-based violence. OCHA and its partners are helping national authorities strengthen preparedness and mitigate the potential impacts of the hurricane.
The country’s authorities reported that priority needs included emergency shelter, essential household items, hygiene and cleaning kits, drinking water, and additional logistical support to reach isolated areas.
A neighborhood in Cap Haitien, in northern Haiti, is flooded after heavy rains. (archive)
Coordinated efforts
The World Food Program is providing logistical support, generators and food assistance to families in Jamaica, which could experience the most powerful storm on record, while the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has pre-positioned water, sanitation and child protection supplies.
Meanwhile, the Pan American Health Organization is bolstering emergency health operations, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is preparing shelter support, and other UN partners are mobilizing for relief operations.
“Latin America and the Caribbean is the second most disaster-prone region in the world and children are among those most at risk.” according to Unicef.