Bahamas - Hurricane Dorian #8 Fact Sheet, (Fiscal Year) 2019 | 09/18/2019 | United States Agency for International Development (2023)

September 16, 2019

USG Increases Support for Hurricane Dorian Relief Efforts by Nearly $11 Million

SYG Guterres visits Bahamas, praises GoB response

GoB seeks recovery, focusing on restoring basic services and infrastructure

Due to the formation and close passage of Tropical Storm Humberto, a tropical storm watch was in effect for the northwestern islands of the Bahamas from September 13 to 14, hampering aircraft and vessel movement and aiding Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in the hardest-hit islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. Despite the two-day reduction in air and sea operations, relief efforts and storm preparedness in Abaco continued, with the USAID Disaster Response Team (DART) working with partners and other organizations to distribute emergency shelter and provide housing. for vulnerable populations. 🇧🇷 Tropical Storm Humberto moved away from the Bahamas on September 14 and caused no further damage to islands affected by Hurricane Dorian.

As the immediate needs of the majority of the affected population are met through local and international relief efforts, the Government of The Bahamas (GoB) reports to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that the response is gradually shifting towards recovery, from according to the United Nations. Thus, the USAID Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team demobilized the Bahamas on 14 September. During the 10-day deployment, the team researched and completed structural assessments of more than 1,000 homes and buildings in Abaco and surrounding bays.

To date, international donors have provided nearly $26 million to Hurricane Dorian relief and recovery efforts in the Bahamas. Of this total, the United States Government (USG) provided approximately $21 million, including $8.5 million from the DoD for logistical and transportation support and $12.5 million from USAID for cross-sectoral relief efforts.

MOMENTARY SITUATION

As of September 15, most of the population affected by the storm had received humanitarian assistance, including supplies and access to basic services to address immediate needs, according to the UN. Consequently, the GoB-led response has shifted from the immediate relief phase – which focuses on first aid, search and recovery and rapid assessment of damage and needs – to focus primarily on providing access to adequate shelter for displaced people, evacuation operations of rubble and ensure the restoration of communications, power and water systems, particularly in remote areas of Abaco. To that end, the USG and other humanitarian actors continue to expand the GoB's ability to effectively prioritize the needs and coordinate the efforts of the more than 50 organizations involved in the response. On September 16, USAID deployed an Incident Management Team (IMT) to join DART in the Bahamas, providing coordination support to the NEMA-led Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the town of Marsh Harbor in Abaco for the next few years. two weeks. 🇧🇷 USAID IMT joins a separate US Coast Guard Incident Management Support Team (USCG) that continues to support the EOC in the capital Nassau, as well as DART specialists providing technical guidance on health, shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for NEMA and other relevant GoB units.

Amid the shift from immediate response to focused recovery efforts, the USAR team deployed by USAID demobilized and left the Bahamas on 14 September. During the September 4-14 deployment, the team combed through more than 1,000 buildings – including bridges, clinics and homes, schools and other infrastructure – across Abaco and surrounding islets to assess damage and suitability for restitution. The USAR team found that about 60% of the examined structures had severe or complete damage, while about 27% were classified as moderately damaged and 10% had minor damage or no damage. Overall, satellite damage assessments show that Hurricane Dorian destroyed about 2,700 buildings and damaged 4,600 buildings in Abaco and Grand Bahama, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

During a September 13-14 visit to the Bahamas, UN Secretary-General (SYG) António Guterres met with Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and displaced people living in collective centers in Nassau to discuss humanitarian needs and challenges. SYG Guterres then traveled to Abaco to assess storm damage and discuss relief efforts with local stakeholders, including DART. In a September 14 statement accompanying his visit, SYG Guterres praised the GoB-led response and the rapid mobilization of support from the international community, while calling for increased investment in resilience-building initiatives against future climate-related disasters.

As of Sept. 15, about 2,000 people were living in 10 group shelters set up by the GoB on New Providence Island, where Nassau is located, and nearly 70 people in two group shelters in Grand Bahama, reports NEMA. The GoB also established shelters on the islands of Abaco and North Eleuthera, although the population of these shelters remained at ten or less as of 15 September.

To allow for debris removal, the GoB Department of Housing and Environment (MoHE) issued a six-month ban on residential and commercial construction on September 15 in the Farm Road, Pigeon Pea, Sand Bank and Mudd communities of downtown Abaco, where it is estimated that 1,000 homes were almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Dorian. Furthermore, the MoHE emphasized the GoB's intention to provide temporary housing for residents of these areas in alternative, safe locations in Abaco.

Due to the formation and close movement of Tropical Storm Humberto, a tropical storm watch was in effect for the northwestern islands of the Bahamas, including Abaco and Grand Bahama, from September 13 to 14. In preparation for the potential for heavy rain and high winds in Abaco, DART worked with partners and other organizations to distribute emergency shelter materials – including USAID plastic sheeting and emergency shelter repair kits – to vulnerable populations in the region. island and emergency shelters for people with disabilities to organize homes in distress. While rainfall in Abaco did not reach expected levels due to the tropical storm, relief agencies continue to prepare for increased storm risk during the June-November Atlantic hurricane season.

LOGISTICAL SUPPORT AND WASHING

On September 14, United Parcel Service (UPS) shipped over 6 metric tons (MT) of USAID shipments - including 5,000 buckets of water for domestic use; 5,000 hygiene kits; and four 10,000-liter water bladders to store potable water – from USAID's Miami depot to Nassau; In total, the UPS flight carried about 50 tons of emergency supplies on behalf of various relief organizations working in the Bahamas. DART is coordinating with NEMA to transport supplies to affected communities in Abaco and Grand Bahama and to displaced people in New Providence. In all, USAID delivered approximately 53 tons of supplies - enough to feed an estimated 54,000 people - from the USAID Miami depot to Nassau, using the donated UPS flight, a chartered commercial flight and USCG cutters to transport the supplies.

In addition, UNICEF provided approximately 1,000 containers of water for domestic use; 400,000 tablets of water disinfectant; and six 5,000-liter water bladders to support access to clean water in affected areas; Mercy Corps began distributing UNICEF-supported supplies in the city of Freeport, Grand Bahama, on September 12.

The DoD continues to support USAID and the GoB with transportation and logistical support. As of September 15, US military aircraft have transported about 140 tons of relief supplies and search equipment on about 120 flights, along with about 370 task forces - including personnel from the GoB, DART, non-governmental organizations and agencies. of the UN.

With funding from USAID/OFDA, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) continues to support the GoB's Department of Health (MoH) in responding to health care needs following Hurricane Dorian. The Ministry of Health and PAHO are working to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and early warning systems for outbreaks, particularly waterborne and vector-borne diseases, in health facilities on storm-hit islands. In the collective centers hosting displaced populations, the MoH conducts daily health surveillance visits and has established health screenings for all arriving evacuees, while the MoH supports food safety and waste management measures in the shelters. In addition, PAHO is providing support to streamline the transport of incoming medical and health supplies to Nassau for rapid distribution to the population on the affected islands.

In coordination with the Ministry of Health, seven Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) — groups of health professionals who meet internationally recognized standards for responding to disasters or emergencies abroad — continue to strengthen health capacity in Abaco, Grand Bahama and New Providence. In Grand Bahama, an International Medical Corps EMT operates in eastern Grand Bahama and Freeport, while a field hospital set up by Samaritan's Purse EMT in Freeport further increases capacity near the city's Rand Memorial Hospital, which dealt with damage during 2018 Supplies and equipment held up by Hurricane Dorian. In Abaco and neighboring islets, paramedics from Heart to Heart International, Humanity First and Team Rubicon are supporting health services in the affected areas. Additionally, the NYC Medics EMT is assisting evacuees in North Eleuthera.

UNICEF is working with the GoB Department of Social Services and Urban Development to help identify and provide services for displaced children living in host communities and to identify child welfare risks for storm-affected children remaining in Abaco and Grand and attack Bahamas. The UN agency is also facilitating the training of school counselors, social workers and teachers to provide psychosocial support and recreational activities for displaced children and others affected by the storm. Additionally, on September 12, the GoB, with support from UNICEF, began enrolling approximately 10,000 displaced school-age children to enroll students in schools unaffected by Hurricane Dorian. The registration process will also help displaced students access counseling services, medical screening, recreational activities, and financial support for lunch, transportation, and uniforms. The UN agency reports approximately US$3.8 million in funding needs to respond to identified child protection, education and WASH needs over the next four months.

The most effective way for people to support relief efforts is by making monetary donations to humanitarian organizations that are carrying out relief efforts. For a list of humanitarian organizations that accept cash donations for disaster relief efforts around the world, visitwww.interaktion.org.

USAID encourages monetary donations because they allow aid workers to get exactly the items they need (often in the affected area); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transport routes, staff time, and storage space); it can be transferred very quickly and without transport costs; support the economy of the region affected by the disaster; and ensure cultural, food and environmental support.

For more information, see: USAID Center for International Disaster Information:www.cidi.org/hurricane-dorian/or +1,202,661,7710. For information on community outreach activities, visithttp://www.reliefweb.int.