Caribbean Crisis: UN Races Aid to Millions After Hurricane Melissa

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it is working with partners to aid millions of people caught in the storm's path and in urgent need of assistance in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti, Xinhua news agency reported.

"In times like these, international solidarity isn't just a principle -- it's a lifeline," said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher.

In Cuba, Melissa passed over the eastern provinces, and preliminary assessments indicated severe damage across Santiago, Holguin, Granma and Guantanamo, said OCHA.

"Hundreds of communities remain isolated, and access continues to be hampered by damaged road, rail and air transport infrastructure," the office said.

OCHA said it is helping to develop a UN action plan to guide the response, with a team deployed in-country and additional support from its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

In Jamaica, where the government is leading a robust national response, OCHA said it is supporting coordination efforts with the Rapid Needs Assessment Teams led by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

The office said the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Children's Fund, the UN Population Fund and the International Organization for Migration will participate in the Jamaica assessments.

In Haiti, already reeling from a massive humanitarian crisis and deadly armed violence, humanitarian teams are responding to urgent needs alongside national authorities. UN agencies and partners are supporting temporary shelters and providing food, non-food items and cash assistance, said OCHA.

- IANS