The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is mobilizing staff to four countries to support the country offices' response to Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm expected to cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and Bahamas.
Washington, D.C., October 4, 2016 (PAHO/WHO) - The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is mobilizing staff to four countries to support the country offices' response to Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm expected to cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and Bahamas.
Dr. Ciro Ugarte, who heads PAHO's Health Emergencies Department, said the PAHO Regional Response Team has been activated and is supporting technical activities in four countries, including Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and Bahamas.
In Haiti, which is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, PAHO's Emergency Operations Center and the National Emergency Operations Center and centers in the departments have been activated, and a Shelter Team and Evacuation Coordination Unit are on standby to respond. PAHO has activated its local emergency team and is deploying experts in disaster coordination, emergency medical teams, logistics, damage and needs assessment, and is working to mount a stronger response in case cholera spreads further throughout the island. The Ministry of Health (MoH) has accepted assistance from the Netherlands Marine Corps, facilitated and endorsed by PAHO.
In Jamaica, national and parish-level Emergency Operations Centers have been activated. Four additional experts in disaster coordination, emergency management, hospital safety, and emergency administration are working to increase the capacity of the country office to support the Ministry of Health. Coordination is ongoing between government, PAHO, USAID, and OCHA. Hospitals have discharged non-critical patients, suspended elective surgeries, and are geared up for emergencies. Shelters have been designated in four parishes, and some 702 persons including 288 children are in shelters in St. Thomas.
In Cuba, PAHO has placed experts on health coordination on standby, and in the Bahamas, the organization has deployed three specialists in water and sanitation, health disaster coordination, and damage and needs assessment, and is completing a readiness assessment of clinics.
In Bahamas, three experts on water and sanitation, emergency management and damage and needs assessment arrived in the country on Sunday and are expediting the implementation of readiness actions in anticipation of the impact of Hurricane Matthew expected by this Wednesday.
Response agencies have been placed on alert in other islands, including Turks and Caicos, and Eastern Caribbean islands including Barbados, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia are assessing damages from the storm.
PAHO is closely following the progress of the storm, which is expected to go through the four countries between today and October 5. As a tropical storm, Matthew already impacted Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines last week.
More information at PAHO Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief
