Hurricane Melissa: UN launches $74 million response for 2.2 million in Cuba

A formal Plan of Action was announced by the UN system in Cuba in support of the Government driven national response to get the country back on its feet.

Focusing on health, water and sanitation; shelter, education, and early recovery; the plan also pays special attention to the needs of women, children, and other vulnerable groups, underscored UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq. 

The UN is appealing for $74 million to counter the devastation caused by Melissa.

The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) released $4 million in emergency funding ahead of the category 5 storm while UN agencies have unlocked an additional $7 million, leaving a funding gap of about $64 million to meet urgent needs. 

16,000 displaced people in Haiti 

In crisis-wracked Haiti, around 16,000 people have been displaced in total, with 43 reported dead, dozens injured, and 13 still missing.

In Petit-Goâve alone, 25 people have lost their lives – the highest number of casualties recorded from the hurricane.

On Wednesday, a team from OCHA, along with representatives from the UN’s child and emergency food agencies, were on-site to coordinate with local authorities and partners to strengthen response efforts.

The World Food Programme (WFP) needs around $18 million to assist nearly 190,000 people. The funds would be allocated as follows: 

• Air service support: $469,000
• Cash-based transfers: $6.7 million
• Emergency telecommunications and logistics: $600,000
• In-kind food assistance: 1,784 metric tonnes

Additionally, WFP reported that 40 per cent of households in the hardest-hit communes now have a poor food consumption score, representing a 20 per cent increase since the disaster.

Despite the devastation, WFP’s early warning system in the country proved highly effective.

Early warning system highlights:

• 3.5 million text messages sent to alert citizens ahead of the storm
• 47,000 vulnerable people enrolled in safety nets
• Anticipatory cash transfers delivered via mobile money, valued at nearly $1 million (approximately $100 per household)

The UN and its humanitarian partners are stepping up aid response in the Grand Sud region, the area most severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa, said OCHA.