In Cuba, over 54,000 individuals are currently displaced, with 7,500 residing in official shelters, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The extent of the devastation has surpassed initial projections, impacting more than 600 healthcare facilities and affecting approximately 90,000 homes. UN agencies are actively assisting the national response, having provided support to roughly 140,000 people in shelters and community kitchens, along with distributing agricultural tools and livestock feed to help restore livelihoods. Furthermore, they are delivering equipment to enhance disease control and prevention initiatives and supplying medical resources to strengthen reproductive health services, particularly maternal care.
In Jamaica, while access to remote areas is gradually improving, it remains unstable. Currently, only two communities are unreachable, a decrease from 27 reported last week; however, additional rainfall could again hinder access. The provision of shelter continues to be a pressing issue, as around 40,000 tarpaulins intended for distribution have not been delivered due to obstructed and damaged roadways. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has assisted 9,000 individuals in the severely impacted regions of Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth, with intentions to expand cash assistance to nearly 90,000 households as conditions permit.
In Haiti, following Hurricane Melissa, which resulted in over 40 fatalities, humanitarian organizations are ramping up their operations amidst widespread destruction across various departments. The UN and its partners have distributed hygiene kits, restored electricity for vaccine storage, and provided psychosocial support in educational institutions. Additionally, they are supplying 15-day food rations to the hardest-hit southern areas. In Petit Goâve, assistance is being extended to over 40,000 individuals, with more distributions scheduled for this week. To address access difficulties, the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has broadened its operations, establishing five new access points to reach isolated communities.
In the Philippines, the WFP is enhancing its emergency response following the impact of both Typhoon Kalmaegi and Super Typhoon Fung-Wong, which have affected 8.3 million people and displaced over 1.4 million on Luzon, the country’s largest island. In preparation for the storms, the agency provided emergency cash transfers to more than 210,000 individuals to facilitate evacuations and preparations. Since the typhoons, the WFP has distributed 187,000 family food packs, sufficient to sustain nearly one million people for several days. Telecommunications equipment and generators have been deployed to restore connectivity, while logistics teams are supporting relief operations across 14 provinces. UN News conducted an interview on Tuesday with Arnaud Peral, the UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, who emphasized the relative effectiveness of government-led preparedness and early warning systems, which are fully supported by UN agencies.
