A Category 5 storm, Hurricane Beryl has claimed at the least six lives as it barrels by the Caribbean Sea. Initial stories point out extreme injury to properties, infrastructure and energy and communications.
UN Spokesperson Stephané Dujarric informed journalists on the common press briefing in New York that seven businesses primarily based in Grenada and 9 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines “will be augmented by additional UN emergency teams in the coming days.”
“Logistics are going to be a challenge, given the islands’ dispersal, damaged infrastructure and limited accessibility,” he mentioned.
Solidarity essential
Mr. Dujarric added that the Secretary-General is “very much appealing for strong international solidarity” with Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the opposite islands which were hit by the hurricane.
“These small island states that the Secretary-General has often visited are again bearing the brunt of natural disasters. And it is critical that we see international solidarity,” he added.
Hurricane Beryl is just simply the beginning of what’s forecast to be extraordinarily intense 2024 hurricane season, amid worsening impacts of local weather change.
Worries for Haiti
The UN Spokesperson additionally voiced concern for Haiti, which was already in a dire state of affairs earlier than the hurricane.
“The security situation is not making it any better. We are prepositioning, we are ready to help as soon as the storm hits and before,” he mentioned.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), support businesses there are in shut contact with Haitian authorities, who’ve amplified early warning messages.
“UN agencies, of course, stand ready to assist and have already taken anticipatory measures,” Mr. Dujarric mentioned.
A house destroyed in a twister that struck Bassin Bleu, northern Haiti.
‘Explosive’ intensification
Also on Tuesday, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) raised alarm over the speed at which Hurricane Beryl intensified from a tropical despair to a Category 3 in 42 hours, and Category 4 in 48 hours.
“This is unprecedented for June but is in line with the recent trend towards very rapid intensification,” the company mentioned, recalling that such was the case with Hurricane Otis which grew to a Category 5 hurricane in a single day and hit the Mexican resort of Acapulco final October.
At least 52 individuals have been reported to have been killed by Hurricane Otis and an additional 32 stay lacking.
WMO famous “record high” sea floor temperatures, warning that the stage is ready for an “especially active and dangerous” hurricane season for your complete basin – Atlantic, Caribbean and Central America.
“It takes just one landfalling hurricane to set back years of socio-economic development. For example Hurricane Maria in 2017 cost Dominica 800 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” mentioned Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General.