Jamaica’s infrastructure has been severely damaged, with more than 130 roads closed and power and communications networks disrupted, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told a regular briefing.
He said medical services were under heavy strain as several hospitals and clinics were damaged or destroyed, prompting the dispatch of emergency medical teams from the Pan American Health Organization, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Haq said the World Food Program (WFP) estimates that up to 360,000 people in Jamaica may be in need of food assistance.
He said the United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination Team was coordinating aid teams and incoming aid supplies to support the Jamaican government.
In Haiti, the United Nations and its partners continue to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa and step up efforts to reach those in need, Haq said.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization cited losses in pulses, maize and fruit crops and damage to fishing infrastructure, and hunger is expected to rise further in a country where half the population is already food insecure, a spokeswoman said.
MNA