Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Hurricane Melissa /Secretary-General
CEB
Sudan
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ukraine
Adaptation Gap Report
Climate Change / Health
Brazil
Peacekeeping
Care and Support Day
HURRICANE MELISSA
From the Caribbean, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Hurricane Melissa is now battering Cuba. The storm made landfall overnight near Santiago de Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of some 120 miles per hour. The hurricane is anticipated to cross the Bahamas later today and continue to bring winds, storm surge and heavy rainfall across the region, including Turks and Caicos and Haiti.
Yesterday, it struck Jamaica as the strongest storm to make landfall on the island and one of the strongest on record in the Atlantic. You’ll hear more shortly from our guest.
Turning to Cuba, authorities have reported the evacuation of some 735,00 people to 900 shelters and other locations. With the Anticipatory Action Plan activated ahead of landfall, UN agencies have been able to deliver early assistance made possible by a $4 million allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund
The World Food Programme transported and pre-positioned nearly 700 metric tons of food, including rice, grains and oil, for more than 180,000 people for 12 days.
UNICEF delivered 1,300 hygiene kits for 6,500 people and deployed portable water-treatment plants serving 16,000 people per day. Public messaging campaigns are underway and learning materials for more than 20,000 children are being distributed.
The Food and Agriculture Organization moved agricultural inputs and seeds to the east of the country to help farmers protect irrigation systems.
The Pan American Health Organization airlifted 2.7 tons of medical supplies, including emergency health kits, generators and water tanks, from Panama.
The UN Development Programme has sent tarpaulins, generators and mattresses, while the UN Population Fund is distributing sexual and reproductive health and dignity kits.
Two OCHA staff are now in Havana to support the Resident Coordinator and UN agencies. A UN Plan of Action to support 170,000 is being finalized.
And turning to Haiti, the Haitian government has declared a public holiday today to allow emergency teams to focus on operations.
Authorities warn of possible flooding and landslides in several departments. Early information from our partners shows damage in the West department. In the commune of Petit-Goâve, authorities report 20 deaths, including 10 children.
OCHA is working closely with authorities and humanitarian partners to share information, plan collectively and monitor local conditions, despite limited logistical capacity in several areas. Our partners have pre-positioned key supplies, including hundreds of hygiene kits in the departments of Artibonite and North-West departments, as well as in the town of Cap-Haïtien. The International Organization for Migration is preparing to help 2,000 households in Gonaïves with shelter materials and other essential items, while the World Food Programme plans to distribute cash assistance for about 4,000 households in the same area. The Haitian Red Cross and UNESCO are supporting community outreach and public information campaigns. OCHA Haiti continues to coordinate response efforts, ensuring that the Government and our partners work together efficiently to reach people in need and avoid duplication.
CEB
On Thursday and Friday, the Secretary-General will chair the biannual session of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), bringing together the heads of the UN system organizations. The CEB session will be held at the Greentree Estate in Manhasset, NY.
CEB Members will reflect on current world affairs as they affect and are related to the UN system, and they will engage in deliberations on the “Impact of the present disruptions in the global economy on the Sustainable Development Goals” and “State of Play of the UN80 Initiative”.
Full highlights:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight