Hurricane Melissa claims at least 75 lives, impacts nearly 5 million people in Caribbean

United Nations, Nov 8 (IANS) Hurricane Melissa has claimed at least 75 lives and impacted nearly 5 million people in Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, one week after landfall in the Caribbean, a UN spokesperson said.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said in a daily briefing that the hurricane has also displaced more than 770,000 people and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes, schools and healthcare facilities, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We and our partners continue to support authorities across all three countries," he said.

In Jamaica, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has deployed additional staff to help the government with humanitarian issues and strengthen operations, Haq said.

The spokesperson said that in Cuba, the Food and Agriculture Organization has delivered agricultural tools, livestock feed and fishing supplies to help restore livelihoods, and the World Food Programme has deployed mobile warehouses, lighting towers and tents to the eastern provinces.

Different UN agencies are actively engaged in providing critical humanitarian assistance across the region, according to Haq.

The United Nations Population Fund is distributing reproductive health kits and closely collaborating with local partners to both prevent and respond to cases of gender-based violence, ensuring that the specific needs of women and girls are prioritized during the crisis.

The United Nations Development Programme, on the other hand, is supplying essential roofing materials, toolkits, and generators to help communities rebuild infrastructure and support the early recovery process.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund is delivering water storage and treatment supplies designed to provide clean and safe drinking water to as many as 16,000 people every day, helping to prevent disease and improve living conditions for affected families.

--IANS

int/rs