UN Mobilizes Funds For Hurricane Beryl Response in the Caribbean

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has reiterated his solidarity with Caribbean countries affected by the passage of Hurricane Beryl, as the international body releases four million US dollars from its emergency response fund to kickstart relief efforts.

The UN said that Hurricane Beryl, the strongest hurricane in history to form in June in the Atlantic Ocean, wreaked havoc as it swept through Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica.

Initially a tropical depression, Beryl rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane and briefly reached Category 5 status, with winds up to 150 mph, leaving a trail of death and destruction.

Guterres expressed his “deep dismay” at the destruction caused by the hurricane, reiterating his solidarity with affected nations.

“The Secretary-General, in coordination with the affected nations, is considering launching an appeal to address humanitarian needs arising from the impact of Hurricane Beryl,” said his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.

He said the fur million dollars will be made available from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Dujarric said UN humanitarian officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in Grenada are working with local officials, assisting damage assessment and response.

He said teams from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are also in Barbados, supporting efforts in the country and the eastern Caribbean.

CMC/nk/2024