Highlights
Government of Jamaica has formally acknowledged and accepted the offer of support from the UN. Thereby UN agencies be able to support to vulnerable populations. The UNETT, co-shared by UNICEF and WFP, will continue to support the RCO lead in the joint UN response.
UNICEF participated in two joint assessments organized by the Office for Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) on 8 and 10 of July to the affected areas. These assessments were supported by the UN system.
UNICEF handed over 6000 units of 10L storage containers, four 5000L collapsible water tanks, 23 1000L tanks, 200 WASH kits for shelters, and 100 hygiene kits to the ODPEM from prepositioned stocks. The items are being distributed to affected communities.
95 percent of shelters have been closed.
Situation in numbers
37,000 children in need of humanitarian assistance (UNICEF estimation)
160,000 people in need (UNICEF estimation)
100 People in shelters (Local news)
2 Confirmed deaths (ODPEM)
Funding overview and partnerships
To meet the immediate response needs, UNICEF finalized its response plan and funding requests sent to key humanitarian donors for early response. UNICEF is also jointly working with other agencies under the leadership of UN RC/HC to prepare a joint appeal for Jamaica to support the response. UNICEF estimates the overall funding needed to respond to children’s humanitarian needs to be US$3.5 million, although this may rise considering that assessments are still ongoing.
Situation overview & humanitarian needs
The recent hurricane has caused extensive damage across several parts of Jamaica, notably impacting the South Coast, including Clarendon, Manchester, and St Elizabeth, as well as Westmoreland, St Catherine Portland, St. Thomas, Trelawny, particularly affecting agricultural communities. In response to the crisis, social workers are actively conducting comprehensive house-to-house assessments to gauge the full extent of the damage.
Meanwhile, the government is coordinating the distribution of food packages through ministry of labor and social security, ODPEM and NGOs, although there are identified gaps in coverage, particularly in certain areas needing assistance with distribution logistics.
The agricultural sector has also been severely hit, and damages are being estimated. In St Elizabeth, the destruction of greenhouses has created an urgent need for seeds and irrigation systems to support recovery efforts. Communities are experiencing shortages of food and difficulties in accessing cooking resources. Some are resorting to coal stoves, but there are reports of coal shortages and price gouging, exacerbating the situation.
Several communities are facing prolonged power outages that are affecting the water supply. The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has indicated that restoring electricity in some areas could take more than a month. In response, there has been a call from the government for immediate support with generators to restore the piped water supply. The government has committed to supplying the necessary fuels. Meanwhile, lack of drinking water is a big concern; communities claim support to ensure the minimums required. The stagnant water in flood-prone zones has become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, raising concerns about the potential spread of vector diseases like dengue fever.
Hospitals and health centres along the South Coast have suffered significant losses exceeding 01 billion Jamaican Dollars (approximately US$6.4 million.) leading to challenges in medication access and storage.
Families are also grappling with financial strains, as they are forced to dip into savings meant for back-to-school expenses to cover house repairs. There is widespread concern about how these financial pressures will impact their ability to meet educational costs by September 2024 when schools will be opening. At the same time, pending the completion of the assessment, it is estimated that approximately 100 schools have reported damages from the hurricane, totalling around JD800 million (approximately US$ 5.1 million.), primarily impacting roofs.
The situation report is available here.
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