Hurricane Beryl, a Category 5 storm, has claimed at least six lives as it tore through the Caribbean Sea. Initial reports indicate severe damage to homes, infrastructure, and electricity and communications.
UN spokesman Stephané Dujarric told reporters at the regular press briefing in New York that seven agencies in Grenada and nine in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines “will be augmented in the coming days with additional UN emergency response teams.”
“Logistics will be a challenge given the spread of the islands“, damaged infrastructure and limited accessibility,” he said.
Solidarity is crucial
Mr Dujarric added that the Secretary-General “strongly calls for strong international solidarity” with Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the other islands affected by the hurricane.
“These small island developing States, which the Secretary-General has visited many times, are once again falling victim to natural disasters. And It is crucial that we see international solidarity,” he added.
Hurricane Beryl is just the beginning of what is expected to be an extremely intense 2024 hurricane season as the impacts of climate change continue to worsen.
Caring for Haiti
The UN spokesman also expressed concern for Haiti, which was already in a serious situation before the hurricane.
“The security situation is not improving“We are prepositioning, we are ready to assist as soon as the storm hits and before,” he said.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) aid agencies there are in close contact with Haitian authorities, who have strengthened early warning messages.
“Of course, the UN agencies are ready to help and have already taken anticipatory measures,” Mr Dujarric said.
© UNICEF/Maxime Le Lijour
A house destroyed by a tornado that hit Bassin Bleu in northern Haiti.
‘Explosive’ intensification
Also on Tuesday, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) raised the alarm over the speed at which Hurricane Beryl grew from a tropical depression to a Category 3 in 42 hours and to a Category 4 in 48 hours.
“This is unprecedented for June, but it is in line with the recent trend of very rapid intensification,” the agency said, recalling that this was also the case with Hurricane Otis, which grew to a Category 5 hurricane overnight and hit the Mexican resort of Acapulco last October.
At least 52 people are said to have died in Hurricane Otis, with 32 people still missing.
The WMO has reported “record high” sea surface temperatures and warned the stage has been set for a “particularly active and dangerous” hurricane season across the entire basin – the Atlantic, Caribbean and Central America.
“It only takes one hurricane to make landfall to reverse years of socio-economic development“For example, Hurricane Maria cost Dominica 800 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.
