As the Bahamas counts the cost of the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian – a Category 5 storm, the strongest ever to hit the archipelago – the disaster has also provided another painful reminder ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York on 23 September that storms are getting stronger and more frequent.
Dorian hovered over the island for a day and a half – creating wave after wave of destruction.
The Summit is an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to slow down rising global temperatures.
The storm made landfall on the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama – part of the more than 700 islands that form the Bahamas – between 1 and 3 September, affecting thousands of people. The most vulnerable are fishing communities and migrants.
The Government is leading the response efforts in coordination with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. International organizations including the United Nations (UN) are complementing the Government’s efforts.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated, some of whom have been accommodated in Government shelters, with others being hosted by relatives and friends.
The UN is providing support to the Government in coordinating the overwhelming aid response from the various Member States, humanitarian organizations and the private sector.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has been distributing 8 tons of ready-to-eat meals, storage units, generators, prefab offices and satellite communications equipment for two logistics hubs, and UNICEF has supported on providing safe drinking water. The International Organization for Migration is delivering more than 1,000 tarpaulins, and the World Health Organization is providing medical supplies and emergency physicians.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has been providing support on assessing and responding to needs, especially of the most vulnerable. Although help has been arriving, the level of destruction leaves a difficult road ahead for recovery.
Financial aid has been pouring in. The Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated $1 million from the Central Emergency Relief Fund and WFP has announced a Limited Emergency Operation for $5.4 million to support 39,000 affected people. Bilateral donations from Member States have reached about $8.6 million.
The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility has announced $10 million to support relief allocations. Private donor contributions have been strong, and OCHA is supporting the Government in its efforts to coordinate these contributions.
Original source: UNOCHA
Published on 12 September 2019
