In Cuba, over 54,000 people remain displaced, with 7,500 residing in official shelters, as reported by the UN relief coordination office, OCHA. The damage has exceeded initial estimates, impacting over 600 health facilities and 90,000 homes. UN agencies are aiding the national response, assisting around 140,000 people in shelters and community kitchens, and providing agricultural tools and livestock feed to restore livelihoods. They are also supplying equipment for disease control and prevention, along with medical supplies to enhance reproductive health services, including maternal care.
In Jamaica, access to isolated communities is improving but remains challenging. Only two communities are still unreachable, down from 27 last week, though more rainfall could restrict access again. Shelter is a significant concern, with 40,000 tarpaulins undelivered due to blocked and damaged roads. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has aided 9,000 people in Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth, planning to extend cash assistance to up to 90,000 households as conditions permit.
In Haiti, following Hurricane Melissa that claimed over 40 lives, humanitarian partners are expanding operations amid widespread damage across various departments. The UN and partners have distributed hygiene kits, restored electricity for vaccine refrigeration, and provided psychosocial support in schools. They are delivering 15-day food rations to hard-hit southern areas, with food assistance reaching over 40,000 people in Petit Goâve, and more distributions planned this week. To overcome access challenges, the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has expanded operations with five new access points to reach isolated communities.
Philippines: Response scales up after back-to-back typhoons
In the Philippines, the WFP is enhancing emergency operations following Typhoon Kalmaegi and Super Typhoon Fung-Wong, affecting 8.3 million people and displacing over 1.4 million across Luzon, the country’s largest and most populous island. Ahead of landfall, the agency provided emergency cash transfers to over 210,000 people to aid in family evacuation and preparation. Following the storms, WFP supplied 187,000 family food packs, enough for nearly one million people for several days. Telecommunications units and generators have been deployed to restore connectivity, while logistics teams support relief efforts across 14 provinces. UN News interviewed Arnaud Peral, the UN Resident Coordinator in the country, who emphasized the success of Government-led preparedness and early warning systems, fully supported by UN agencies.
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