Prime Minister Expresses 'Deepest Sympathies' as Haiti Deals With the Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, has expressed his “deepest sympathies” to the families of the victims of Hurricane Melissa, whose passage near the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country earlier this week left 24 people dead and at least 13 others still missing.
Haitians assessing the damage caused by Melissa The Director General of Civil Protection, Emmanuel Pierre, said that 10 people are still missing and that the search is continuing.The Haitian authorities said the storm impacted several regions of the country, particularly the Grand Sud and the commune of Petit-Goâve, heavily affected by the flooding of the La Digue River, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 people, including 10 children.
The authorities also reported that in Dame-Marie (Grande Anse), one man was injured while riding his motorcycle when a tree fell on him and that his pillion is missing.
The National Emergency Operations Center (COUN) reported that 13,900 people have taken refuge in at least 121 active shelters.
Two schools, located in Dame-Marie and Duchity, had their roofs torn off by the wind and in Beaumont and Pestel, dozens of makeshift dwellings were also damaged. Ten of the 11 municipalities in the Nippes department have experienced flooding, causing material damage.
Banana plantations have been destroyed, livestock swept away with the authorities saying that a detailed assessment of agricultural losses is being undertaken.
On the health front, cases of diarrhea have been reported at the hospital in Grande Anse.
Meanwhile, Farhan Haq, the Deputy spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is reporting that Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of devastation after crossing Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas, with severe effects also felt in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and parts of Central America.
He said the hurricane caused widespread damage to homes, infrastructure and crops, with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) reporting that health facilities have been particularly affected.
“The UN and our partners – already mobilized before the storm’s impact – are delivering assistance and supporting damage assessments, coordination and logistics in close collaboration with national authorities.”
He said that a three-person OCHA team has been deployed to Jamaica today to reinforce the Resident Coordinator’s Office and support national emergency operations. Additional specialist teams remain on standby should Governments request further support.
The World Food Programme has begun logistics operations to deliver relief supplies from the Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub in Barbados, including 2,000 emergency food kits for airlift and additional items arriving by sea.
“We and our partners are also providing support in logistics, health, sanitation, early recovery, and protection. And, of course, we will hear from our guests shortly about the situations in Cuba and in Haiti,” Haq added.
