The strong storm that directly hit Jamaica and Cuba and affected the Caribbean islands of Haiti and the Dominican Republic has left a heavy toll of displaced children and families in its wake. UNICEF is on the ground, working with partners to deliver emergency assistance.
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UNICEF is responding swiftly to the needs of children and families
Several days of torrential rains, storm surges and catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Melissa have impacted the lives of more than 700,000 children across the Caribbean, according to UNICEF estimates.
The powerful storm bore down on Jamaica and Cuba before inundating the Caribbean islands of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, leaving a heavy toll of displaced children and families. Critical infrastructure has been badly damaged, crops destroyed and essential services such as health and education disrupted.
The road to recovery will be a long one, and UNICEF will be there every step of the way.
“In the wake of relentless floods across the Caribbean, hundreds of thousands of children have seen their lives upended suddenly,” said Roberto Benes, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Children urgently need food, safe drinking water and sanitation, access to health and nutrition services and a path back to education.”
Learn more about how UNICEF works to protect and support children caught in the path of hurricanes
Distribution of pre-positioned supplies is underway; families remain trapped in flooded neighborhoods
The distribution of pre-positioned essential supplies for children has already begun, while needs assessments and response planning with partners continue. Many of the hardest-hit communities are extremely difficult to reach due to damaged infrastructure and ongoing flooding. Families are trapped in submerged neighborhoods without power or remain in shelters, and access to clean water and sanitation is critically compromised.
In Jamaica, where Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, UNICEF has initially allocated $1 million to support immediate emergency response. The funding will help deliver urgent assistance to children and families affected by the widespread devastation. UNICEF is supporting the government to reach more than 284,000 children to address urgent nutrition needs, access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and mental health support.
Learn more about UNICEF’s emergency response in Jamaica
Humanitarian cash transfers give families dignity and flexibility to prioritize their most urgent needs
In Cuba, UNICEF is working to ensure that every child has access to essential services, prioritizing safe water supplies, sanitation and hygiene conditions in communities and educational and health institutions, and the return to school in safe spaces. Children will benefit from emergency supplies including 1,300 hygiene kits, 213 recreation kits, 80 school supply kits, 209 early childhood kits, 1,900 roofing sheets, 5,000 square meters of waterproof tarpaulins and two portable water purification plants.
In Haiti, the tropical storm claimed 20 lives, including 10 children, in the country’s southwest region. UNICEF is deploying 2,900 hygiene kits in Haiti and emergency health kits to meet the needs of 20,000 people and ensure treatment for 400 cases of acute watery diarrhea.
UNICEF provided humanitarian cash transfers to 7,500 households at risk in the south of Haiti to mitigate the impact of the hurricane, and almost 500 U-Reporters have been mobilized across the Grand South region with over 137,000 awareness messages sent via SMS and WhatsApp, reinforcing community mobilization and preparedness efforts ahead of and during the storm.
Your support can be a lifeline for children impacted by catastrophic natural disaster
In the Dominican Republic, Hurricane Melissa caused life-threatening flooding and landslides leaving over 60,000 affected. UNICEF is delivering 750 hygiene kits and ensuring appropriate sanitation and hygiene conditions for children in the most affected communities. UNICEF is supporting the Government to ensure that health and nutrition services reach more than 20,000 children, women and caregivers.
In all countries affected by Hurricane Melissa, UNICEF is working closely with national authorities and partners to identify and quickly address the most urgent needs. To sustain the response, UNICEF is appealing for $46.5 million to provide lifesaving first interventions to over 380,000 children and their families.
UNICEF responds to hundreds of emergencies every year — including weather-related disasters such as hurricanes — focusing on vulnerable communities in the hardest-hit areas. Please consider donating today to help children and families rebuild their lives after Hurricane Melissa. Your generosity can bring hope and relief. Donate now
Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.