Image: NOAA. Retrieved from news.un.org
A Category 5 storm, Hurricane Beryl has claimed at least six lives as it barrels through the Caribbean Sea. Initial reports indicate severe damage to homes, infrastructure and power and communications.
UN Spokesperson Stephané Dujarric told journalists at the regular press briefing in New York that seven agencies based in Grenada and nine 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 said.
Mr. Dujarric added that the Secretary-General is “very much appealing for strong international solidarity” with Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the other islands that have been 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.