UNITED NATIONS - The island of Carriacou in Grenada has been virtually “flattened” by the devastating Hurricane Beryl, a senior UN official there reported, as humanitarian teams ramp up their support to communities affected across the Caribbean. Speaking via video link from Grenada, Simon Springett, UN Resident Coordinator in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, outlined a scene of total devastation in Carriacou – where Beryl first made landfall on 1 July. “The entire island is completely affected … that is literally 100 per cent of the population,” he stressed. Hurricane Beryl is the strongest hurricane in history to form in June in the Atlantic Ocean. Initially a tropical depression, it rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm and briefly reached Category 5 status, with winds up to 240 km/h (150 mph). On Friday, it made landfall in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and is reportedly tracking west-northwest, projected to make landfall in southern Texas, United States, on Monday. Springett highlighted the situation as a “very complicated crisis”, one that is marked by severe logistical and access challenges. Four days after the hurricane hit, roads on the island are impassable and communications were only restored last night, he said. “Directly after the hurricane, the seas were exceptionally rough, which made it nearly impossible to get there. The air control towers are out – so there is only fly by visibility. But also, even when things get to the airport, there no roads to access the goods.” Nations near and far are dispatching aid, with a French ship arriving in Carriacou later in the day as well as assistance from Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago, Springett said. “We have a large outpouring of international response … it is really an international effort, and the UN is really proud to be to be a part of this,” he said. Also speaking, via video link from Bahamas, Dennis Zulu, the Resident Coordinator for Jamaica and Bahamas, echoed international collaboration. He highlighted that the UN is working in coordination with Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the regional emergency and disaster response agency to ensure a coherent regional response.
“We are poised to mount a coordinated humanitarian response with the international development partner community and are already engaging international partners and organizations in Jamaica,” he added.
Detailed assessment of damage in Jamaica and in other island nations supported by his office are ongoing, Zulu said.
“The damage is widely apparent and is felt by people from all walks of life, especially in rural Jamaica, including in the southern parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and Saint Elizabeth, and for those in vulnerable housing,” he added.
He also noted that the Government of Jamaica has put in place an effective response plan, supported by UN and partners, including shelters for those who lost their homes.
Alongside, other key requirements include clean drinking water, access to communication and data and livelihood support.
According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), over 650,000 people – including 150,000 children – in Barbados, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tobago were in the path of Hurricane Beryl.
Many have lost homes and are being housed in temporary shelters, officials said.