Humanitarians, including teams from OCHA and UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), continue to work with authorities in Grenada , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica to complete assessments and deliver assistance in affected areas. The thousands of people driven to shelter after severe damage to housing and water, power and health services are now trying to pick up the pieces as authorities work on restoring basic services.
Jamaica
Needs assessments are ongoing, with surveying teams deployed to hardest hit parishes, but data collection efforts are hampered by damaged logistics and communication networks.
Initial reports cite damage to agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure in southern parishes such as St. Elizabeth, Clarendon, and Manchester:
UNICEF estimates that 160,000 people, including 37,000 children, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Several health facilities are running on generators due to widespread power outages.
Across the island, 275 shelters were activated, accommodating 1,876 people, with 156 shelters still open as of July 6.
RC and UNCT concluded that a recovery action plan will be developed, not humanitarian, with elements of basic services. OCHA field team, supported by APMB, seeks to engage working to identify the best option to develop a draft preliminary Reconstruction & Recovery plan for Jamaica.
OCHA and the UNDAC team continue supporting the UN Resident Coordinator and the Government.
Grenada
Around 3,000 people sought shelter at the peak of the storm and 6,910 need of assistance.
Humanitarian access remains a concern due to the small size and dispersed nature of the affected islands.
With five out of six medical facilities damaged in Carriacou and significant damage to mainland hospitals, medical care could be severely compromised. Outbreaks of diseases due to limited access to clean water and sanitation is a concern.
The complete loss of electricity in Carriacou and Petit Martinique hinders all aspects of daily life, including healthcare, communication, and economic activities. Along with debris blocking roads, it also delays coordination and response efforts.
In Carriacou, IHP set up a base camp and UNDAC's work is progressing well.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
According to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 1,362 people were evacuated, and more than 15,000 were affected by the hurricane.
According to the Ministry of Education, 1,009 people currently reside in emergency shelters, with 37 out of 47 shelters on the mainland.
Humanitarian access to remote islands like Mayreau remains a significant challenge, particularly with limited electricity and impassable roads. There is also a high risk of waterborne diseases due to a lack of running water and non-functional toilet facilities, particularly on Union Island.
In Union Island most of the houses were destroyed, which represented a big challenge for UNDAC’s team to set up a base camp there. Partners and authorities continue working through significant access and logistics challenges to assess the full impact of Beryl.
To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/. Situation reports
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