“We can not neglect Haiti,” mentioned Lola Castro, talking from the capital, Port-au-Prince, whereas additionally interesting for Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
More than 80 individuals have been killed and roughly six million have been affected by the class 5 hurricane – among the many most intense within the Atlantic on report.
The senior humanitarian positioned explicit emphasis on Haiti, which is already grappling with challenges together with gang violence, largely within the capital, and meals insecurity.
Roughly 5.7 million individuals – over half the inhabitants – are going hungry and 1.4 million nationwide are displaced.
Fleeing by rivers of mud
Hurricane Melissa dumped heavy rains on southern Haiti, impacting 1.2 million individuals.
Ms. Castro was recent from the city of Petit-Goâve, the place the river burst its banks and “individuals needed to escape from their homes in the midst of the night time by rivers of mud.” Twenty-five residents died.
She met “men and women in complete misery” who’re attempting to rebuild their lives after shedding their family members, properties, livelihoods, crops and cattle.
WFP, alongside different UN businesses, NGOs and the federal government, have been on the bottom “from day one” offering meals after which money transfers, which permit individuals to make their very own buying selections.
Women instructed her that they may use the money transfers to purchase meals, cleaning soap and different fast wants.
“We additionally talked with a gaggle of youth which can be organized, attempting to assist these communities to restart their lives,” she continued.
“And what they ask is, ‘Please don’t neglect us. Don’t neglect us, as a result of a month-and-a half (in the past) we have been in all of the information, however now we’d like continued help.’”
Recovery and rehabilitation
The hurricane additionally triggered catastrophic injury in western Jamaica and jap Cuba, and WFP has reached greater than 725,000 individuals throughout the 4 nations.
“We are attempting now to essentially work on restoration and rehabilitation by numerous instruments,” Ms. Castro mentioned, akin to faculty feeding programmes and supporting authorities efforts to enhance social safety by registering everybody who has been affected by the catastrophe.
“But what may be very clear in Haiti and in the entire area is that we have to make investments far more, as we’ve got accomplished this time, on anticipatory motion.”
Advance preparation essential
WFP undertook loads of work round emergency preparedness earlier than the hurricane hit.
These measures included sending messages advising Haitians of the approaching storm, reaching some 3.5 million nationwide, and distributing advance money transfers to greater than 50,000 individuals. Teams in Cuba additionally moved meals support from the east of the island to the west.
“But we have to do far more of that,” she mentioned. “We actually need additionally to make sure that our simulations and preparedness mechanisms are prepared.”
Ms. Castro highlighted examples akin to microinsurance funds, which allow smallholder farmers in Haiti – who present meals utilized in WFP’s “homegrown” faculty meals programmes – to carry on producing.
“These are new mechanisms and instruments that we have to do far more within the area, within the Caribbean, as a result of we all know yearly there shall be hurricanes or earthquakes, like we noticed final yr in Cuba,” she mentioned.
“We actually need to work tougher to construct the resilience of those populations which can be completely affected in order that meals insecurity doesn’t develop into a development however is decreased, with the communities working for themselves and constructing their very own resilience.”
WFP is in search of $83 million to achieve 1.3 million individuals throughout the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Melissa. and roughly half the funding has been acquired.
