Tuesday, September 12, 2017

SITREP. Caribbean. September 12, 2017



CDEMA'S IMPACTED PARTICIPATING STATES
NATIONAL UPDATES - POST IMPACT:
Reports emerging from impacted CDEMA Participating States as of September 09-10, 2017 reveal the following:

ANGUILLA
Further Updates:
  • Sea ports remain closed
  • Airport serviceable to emergency flights, most roads leading to airport cleared of debris
  • Debris removal ongoing along other main roads and critical infrastructure
  • Utility restoration will begin through the installation of towers, poles and wires
  • Temporary retrofit done to critical infrastructure such as the Police Station and NEOC
  • Vulnerable government buildings secured
  • Food shortage due to limited access and fuel for generators
  • Damage assessment report being prepared
  • Structural shelter assessment conducted
  • Resumed relief distribution
  • Tourism sector seriously damaged
BARBUDA
Further Updates:
  • Initial assessments reveal the number of structures damaged or destroyed has a replacement cost of a little over 200 million dollars
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Further Updates:
  • State of Emergency declared
  • Limited water and food supplies
  • NEOC destroyed
HAITI
Further Updates:
  • 1 person missing
  • 5 cases of minor injuries
  • Rapid assessments of human and material damage are underway
  • The red alert is lifted throughout the national territory
  • The NEOC is collecting additional information from the geographical region and another report will be issued tomorrow
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

REGIONAL RESPONSE ACTIONS:
CDEMA Coordinating Unit
  • The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s (CDEMA) advance team, consisting of the CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU), Rapid Needs Assessment Team (RNAT), CARICOM Operational Support Team (COST), and the CARICOM Disaster Assessment Coordination team, was operating out of its staging post in Antigua, which was largely unaffected by the hurricanes
  • The teams are now deployed to the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla, as of today September 10, 2017, having been into Barbuda late last week.
  • CDEMA’s Rapid Assessment team from its staging post in Jamaica was scheduled to arrive in the Turks and Caicos Islands today.
  • The Agency has also been in contact with Haiti which has also suffered damage during the passage of Hurricane Irma.
  • The 6th meeting of the RRM Partners was convened yesterday, Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 1:15pm at the CDEMA Coordinating Unit. The meeting was chaired by CDEMA’s Executive Director. Approximately thirty (30) participants from regional and international donor, humanitarian and development agencies were represented
Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH)
  • Continue to provide the RRM with daily briefings on weather systems and impact analysis
  • Deployed team member to support bringing back commercial aviation on stream
  • Provided weather stations for use
LIAT:
  • LIAT continues to support CDEMA’s effort to respond to the humanitarian needs of the people in the impacted countries. They have secured seats for response personnel who are supporting the affected population and their needs.
Regional Security System (RSS)
  • RSS Airwing conducted 2 missions with 12 British Armed Forces personnel and Mr. David Archer (Dep. Governor, BVI) to BVI. The purpose of the British Armed Forces was to restore confidence, make the runway safe and secure the Governor
  • Airwing enroute with 4 stranded persons from BVI to Barbados
  • Requested 90 Police and 60 Soldiers on standby for preparation of deployment to BVI
  • Deployed the CDRU kits from Barbados to Antigua (September 10, 2017) including rations, sleeping bags, tents and cots.
  • Three (3) CDRU personnel and CDRU kits were picked up from Antigua and deployed to BVI (September 10, 2017)
  • Redeployed four (4) media personnel from Antigua to Barbados (September 10, 2017)
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS UPDATES:
Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
  • Will contribute $100,000 to CDEMA to provide logistical support for relief supplies and assessment teams, emergency power, and relief supplies (including building materials, as needed)
  • Released $105,000 from its Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund (EDAF) to support International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency operations in Haiti ($30,000), the Dominican Republic ($30,000), Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis ($45,000).
  • Supporting the deployment of an expert to the UNDAC team for emergency assessment, information management and coordination of incoming international relief
  • The EDAF drawdown fund, maintained by the Canadian Red Cross, can be immediately activated to support IFRC operations responding to small to medium scale crises. Relief is delivered through local Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
  • Canada also supports a number of humanitarian partners present in the Caribbean, including the WFP’s Immediate Response Account, which has been used to preposition stocks in Haiti, and UNDAC, through which one Canadian expert was deployed.
  • 1 Canadian airport specialist on standby to assist CDEMA with Rapid Needs Assessment as required. It is anticipated that he will be deployed to Bahamas and or Turks and Caicos.
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO):
  • Civil Protection Team on standby
  • Copernicus: 28 maps produced
ECHO field is closely following the developments in coordination with partners – humanitarian experts deployed in Haiti and Dominican Republic, standby for Cuba and for Eastern Caribbean islands

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC):
  • Preliminary appeal launched for St Kitts and Nevis
  • Targets support to 500 families (300 families - Antigua and Barbuda, 200 families - St Kitts and Nevis)
  • Provision of first aid kits and services
  • Psychological first aid and support services to affected persons
  • Support to epidemic surveillance
  • Health assessments and public awareness
  • Hygiene promotion and distribution of hygiene kits
  • Distribution of food rations and NFIs including kitchen sets, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, buckets, shelter kits, unconditional cash transfers to affected families to meet their essential needs
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
  • Have 50 Satellite phones for deployment and positioning technical support concerning usage etc.
  • Provision of 20 similar phones already to Haiti
Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)
  • Emergency Declaration and Standard Emergency Procedures activated, together with Regional Emergency Response Team
  • Funds made available for the immediate response (deployments, coordination, assessments, logistics, etc.)
  • Staff based in St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda who are performing need assessments
  • Two experts deployed to Antigua and Barbuda
  • Preliminary assessment of hospital/health center in Barbuda carried out on September 8
  • Staff deployed to Bahamas and to Turks and Caicos Islands. Currently carrying out needs assessments for health sector
  • In Haiti, PAHO in coordination with departmental level of affected areas mobilized five teams to support response, as needed
  • Coordination with BVI, Anguilla, and Antigua and Barbuda to support with immediate needs, including provision of critical medicines and other medical supplies destroyed
  • Planned deployment of experts to BVI expected tomorrow, 10 Sept: logistician, electrical engineer, assessments and WASH (with CDEMA RNAT)
  • Ongoing coordination with Ministries of Health in the Region for immediate movement of medicines and other health supplies to most affected islands
  • Deployments for St Martin (2 persons), Anguilla (2 persons), and BVI (1 persons), who departed Barbados 7 Sept are still en route in light of transportation challenges related with closure of the damaged airports in these countries
United States Aid for International Development – Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA)
  • Will be sending a relief flight into Antigua on Monday, September 11th
  • Bahamas Red Cross - $100,000 for the purchase of Non Food Items - NFIs (200 cleaning supply kits, mattresses and bedding) and 1,000 cash transfer debit cards. Target: Approx. 3,000 people
  • Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross - $100,000 for the purchase of NFIs (100 hygiene kits including sanitary napkins, 200 bedding kits, 25 community clean up kits, 100 Personal Protective Equipment kits (PPE), 155 kitchen sets, 100 shelter kits including plastic sheets and rope, 25 community shelter tool kits) Target: Approx. 1,000 people
  • 3. Relief Flight (ETA: Wednesday 9/13 to Antigua) - Plastic Sheeting (4m x 60m): 350 rolls; Hygiene Kits: 3,500; Water containers, 10L/collapsible: 7,000; Kitchen sets: 3,200; Blankets: 7,000; Chain saw kits: 3 (note: each quantity of kits aims to benefit approximately 17,500 people)
World Food Programme (WFP)
  • Providing communications and logistics support
  • Providing technical support to governments on social protection and nutrition
  • Cash transfers
  • Food support
  • Support for the prevention of Zika and dengue viruses
UNITED NATIONS (UN) AGENCIES
UN Environment
  • Remote environmental risk assessments (FEAT tables) already developed for Antigua & Barbuda, Turks and Caicos
  • Finalising assessments for Bahamas and St Kitts & Nevis
  • Responding to a CDEMA request for disaster waste management experts through partners, potential deployment 13 September
  • Request for water distribution expertise shared with UNICEF ROLAC
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  • USD 25,000 of emergency funds approved and allocated for Antigua and Barbuda to support coordination and assessments
  • Ready to support national efforts on damage and needs assessments as well as develop early recovery frameworks
  • Experts on debris/waste management, emergency employment and Cash for Work, livelihoods revitalization, core government functions and Post Disaster Needs Assessments are on standby and ready to be deployed. Additionally specialists are on standby to accompany governments and relevant partners in needs assessments and early recovery planning
  • Allocated USD 300,000 form its core resources to support assessments, coordination and elaboration of recovery frameworks in affected countries
  • Experts on debris/waste management, emergency employment and Cash for Work, livelihoods revitalization, core government functions and Post Disaster
  • Needs Assessments are on standby and ready to be deployed. In addition, specialists are on standby to accompany governments and relevant partners in needs assessments and early recovery planning
    United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
  • Financial resources are available to provide the Dignity/Hygiene Kits in collaboration with UN Women and national authorities. UNFPA can also supply life-saving Reproductive Health Kits
  • UNFPA has technical resources available to guide on preventing and addressing GBV and sexual violence in affected communities, and is submitting a request for surge capacity to support coordination around GBV
  • Collaborating with UN Women and with the Directorate of Gender Affairs, Antigua and Barbuda, in distributing Dignity/Hygiene Kits, especially to affected women and girls
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)
  • 2 shipments (1 each for Antigua and Barbuda, and Jamaica)
  • Blankets, tarpaulins, water purification kits, 10L containers, recreation kits and school-in-a-box kits, hygiene kits
  • 6 tents to Antigua stadium
  • 2 teams available to support the relief efforts in BVI
  • 2 persons to Antigua to support the coordination of relief efforts
  • Zika prevention and mosquito nets
  • Support the purchase of cleaning items locally
  • Logistics team to handle procurement
  • Prepositioned supplies in Barbados to reach Anguilla and Tortola via Antigua
UNWOMEN
  • Electronic funds transfer to Directorate for Gender in Antigua and Barbuda for the provision of dignity kits to women and girls displaced on Friday September 09, 2017
  • UN Women is positioning to provide technical support on preventing and responding to GBV in shelter management
  • Positioning for priority deployment for a social protection officer to support the RNATs
UK AID
  • 8 more staff are on their way to the region, including experts with civ-mil, logistics, and health and communications specialists
  • 2 logistics experts are also travelling to Gibraltar to assist HMSOcean
  • Support to PAHO (emergency primary healthcare) and CDEMA (transport and immediate response)
  • Mount Bay delivered the 200 DFID shelter kits on board (50% to Anguilla and 50% to BVI) 832 additional shelter kits have arrived in Barbados and we are working on distributing these onwards
  • Over the next 24 hours troops and engineers will deploy with helicopters to support the relief efforts in the OTS impacted
  • The UK will provide 53 police officers from 14 units to assist with public order
  • Between Sunday and Thursday, planning to fly in 5,000 solar lanterns and 10,000 buckets
  • Dispatched 5,000 hygiene kits, 10,000 buckets, and 500,000 aquatabs to Gibraltar for loading onto HMS Ocean (due to depart on Tuesday)
  • UK military A400 is currently making its way to you containing a forward contingent of UK military personnel and 640 shelter kits
  • 5 tons of CDEMA food items and 8 DfID/CDEMA personnel moved from Antigua to British Virgin Islands
  • Priority over next 24 hours is to provide security in Anguilla and Turk and Caicos
  • If possible, some CDEMA personal and DfID food items will also be moved from Barbados to Anguilla
CDEMA continues to monitor the system and provide updates as necessary.

CONTACT DETAILS: The CDEMA CU 24-hour contact number 1(246) 434-4880



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