UNICEF says thousands of Caribbean children still need help, 3 months after 2 category-5 hurricanes12/15/2017 The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says thousands of Caribbean children still need help, 3 months after two category-5 hurricanes tore through the region.
Maria Cristina Perceval, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean said, “Even before the hurricanes hit, UNICEF was on the ground, working with Governments and local partners, to prepare communities and preposition humanitarian supplies, for the areas at highest risk. These included life-saving supplies that were most needed during the immediate response, when access to clean water, shelter and basic social services were scarce”. Irma, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, caused extensive damage to the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti and Cuba. Hurricane Maria then wrought additional damage across the region, with UNICEF estimating that together, they left 350,000 children in need of humanitarian assistance. Perceval said, “Three months on, UNICEF is still on the ground in these countries and territories, working on programs to support children and families, in rebuilding their lives and returning to a sense of normalcy”. She acknowledges that challenges remain, with the most vulnerable families still feeling the effects of the storms. Over 35% of Dominica’s children – especially those in shelters – are still not enrolled in education activities, while in Antigua & Barbuda, many families remain in shelters, unable to return home. Working in collaboration with governments and non-governmental organizations, UNICEF has been providing immediate humanitarian relief and working to ensure longer-term recovery and resilience. UNICEF and its partners are supporting communities through programs focused on recovery and resilience in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica and Haiti.
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