El Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, made clear his solidarity with the countries affected by Hurricane Beryl and released four million dollars of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) with the aim of boosting relief efforts.
Hurricane Beryl, classified as the strongest ever recorded, formed in June in the Atlantic Ocean and caused havoc as it passed through Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica.
Initially a tropical depression, Beryl rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane and briefly reached Category 5, with winds of up to 240 mph.
The meteor, now downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane, advances towards Belize and Mexico and continues to represent a significant threat.
The cyclone has taken its toll at least ten lives and has left an unknown number of people injured, in addition to causing widespread destruction and forcing thousands of people to flee in search of refuge.
Possible appeal
The head of the UN expressed deep dismay at the devastation caused by the hurricane and reiterated its solidarity with the impacted nations.
“The Secretary General, in coordination with the affected countries, is considering launching an appeal to address humanitarian needs derived from the impact of Hurricane Beryl,” reported UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in a statement issued late on Wednesday.
The spokesperson also announced the release of four million dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund to Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
damage assessment
UN humanitarian workers in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada collaborate with local authorities, assisting in damage assessment and response efforts.
The teams of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are also found in Barbados supporting the efforts in the country and the Eastern Caribbean, Dujarric said in his regular meeting with the press at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
He added that humanitarian teams are also heading to Belize and Jamaica.