It is important to be as close as possible to populations in times of crisis. Together with our regional partners, we are taking action after Hurricane Melissa struck the Caribbean to restore education, protect heritage and ensure reliable information, which is vital in times of crisis,
Audrey AzoulayUNESCO Director-General
In total, more than 2 million people have been affected and thousands of residents forced to relocate. The material damage is also considerable: tons of debris, hundreds of educational facilities and cultural sites impacted, and communication systems heavily damaged. In the three countries, hundreds of schools have suffered major damage, compromising educational continuity for thousands of students as well as access to food.
In Jamaica, the country most affected in the region, UNESCO's international experts deployed on an emergency basis, joined the damage and needs assessment launched with the United Nations. Using satellite imagery, UNESCO has already assessed the condition of 142 Jamaican cultural sites, confirming damage to six of them.
In Jamaica, UNESCO's emergency support will notably help replace teaching materials and classroom equipment damaged by the hurricane, provide psychosocial support for teachers and urgently stabilize monuments such as Saint John's Church in Saint Elizabeth, which was severely affected.
In Haiti, emergency assistance aims to carry out a hydrogeological assessment of groundwater sources that supply water points inside and around school infrastructures, contaminated by flooding.
Finally, in Cuba, support will be provided to journalists through the strengthening of a fact-checking platform, to facilitate access to reliable information in times of crisis. Other measures, such as training teachers in psychosocial support for students, purchasing school supplies and acquiring equipment to access World Heritage sites, are also being developed.
Beyond national support, UNESCO will also implement regional training programs to strengthen prevention and risk-reduction capacities and to build resilience against increasingly frequent extreme climate events.
The Director-General calls for the urgent mobilization of Member States to support UNESCO's emergency response in the Caribbean. In total, UNESCO has already committed $300,000 in funds.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" - UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
