Situation
REGIONAL SIT REPS sit repS - JAMAICA sIT REPS - GRENADA & St. vincent and the grenadineS
Hurricane Beryl, the first major hurricane of the 2024 season, set records as the earliest Category 5 storm in the North Atlantic. Making landfall as a high-end Category 4 storm in Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines, Beryl caused widespread devastation. Carriacou, Petite Martinique, and St. Patrick Parish in Grenada saw nearly total destruction, extensive power outages, and critical water interruptions. In St Vincent and the Grenadines, significant damage to housing and essential services, including many health facilities rendered inoperative due to infrastructural damage and disrupted utilities, has severely limited access to medical care. The destruction of homes and infrastructure has left residents without proper shelter, increasing exposure to environmental hazards and health risks. The lack of potable water and proper sanitation raises the risk of disease outbreaks, including respiratory infections, vector-borne diseases like dengue, and gastroenteritis. Urgent support is needed to address the extensive damage, restore essential services, and reduce health risks for the affected populations.
Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) country offices in the Caribbean are working closely with the Ministries of Health and other partners in affected countries to coordinate the health sector's needs assessment and response actions to address the health needs of the affected populations.
Further information can be found in the PAHO/WHO situation reports.
Health Impact
The health risks identified during initial assessments in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl—such as water and foodborne diseases, respiratory diseases, vector-borne diseases, and the strain on maternal and neonatal health services—demonstrate the critical need for immediate and sustained intervention.
Overcrowding in shelters, compromised water and sanitation systems, and the potential for increased transmission of infectious diseases pose severe public health threats. To bolster their resilience, it is imperative to strengthen their public health infrastructure and enhance their capacity to respond to and recover from such events.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada, 14 health facilities suffered damage, and others faced disruptions of services. As of July 29, 4 health facilities in each of these islands were still non-functional but repairs are taking place to facilitate resumption of services. These facilities suffer significant roof damage, ceiling damage, broken windows, and other related damage.
Access PAHO's Initial Public Health Risk Assessment to view each country's specific needs and priorities.
Priority Needs Summary
Temporary housing solutions • Tarpaulins and roofing materials • Essential household items .
Drinking water • Water purification systems • Rehabilitation of toilets • Repair of water storage capacity in affected health facilities .
Complete damage assessment • Repair damaged health facilities • Restoration healthcare services • Replenish critical medicines, medical supplies, and other health commodities • Generators and radios for some health facilities • Ensure surveillance systems are in place, especially in the shelters • Psychosocial support for those affected, either directly or indirectly by the hurricane with a special focus on healthcare workers (7) • Safe shelter, food, and water rations for health care workers
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Main Health Risks +
Limited access to the continuity of proper treatment for non-communicable and chronic diseases can result in a significant increase in morbidity and mortality among affected populations.
Access PAHO's Initial Public Health Risk Assessment to view each country's specific needs and priorities.
PAHO's Response
During the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, PAHO activated its emergency response mechanisms to provide critical support to Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, through its Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) in Barbados and Washington D.C. and the coordination to deploy Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) to support local systems.
PAHO also deployed experts in the areas of water and sanitation, health facility damage assessment, environmental health, and logistics, to assess the situation on the ground and coordinate the response alongside local health authorities.
In addition, PAHO rapidly mobilized critical relief items from its strategic reserve in Panama to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica, to help countries provide essential healthcare services and to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks. The donations include water purification tablets, water testing kits, water pumps, and generators.
PAHO continues to support health authorities in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Jamaica by conducting health facility and services assessments; strengthening surveillance in shelters; organizing logistics to transport materials and supplies to the affected Islands; and the procurement and distribution of supplies as per the Ministry of Health needs list. PAHO also keeps its coordination activities with the Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Medical Team (EMT) deployed in Carriacou and the Ministries of Health focal points, including disaster coordinators.
PAHO is also conducting efforts to mobilize additional resources to support the response activities and is in close communication with CDEMA, CARPHA, WFP, IOM, and other UN and relevant organizations.
Read detailed information in the Situation Reports:
sit repS - JAMAICA sIT REPS - GRENADA & St. vincent and the grenadineS