Hurricane Melissa devastates Jamaica, leaving 5 million tons of debris and causing damage equal to 30% of the nation’s GDP, says UN.
UNITED NATIONS: Hurricane Melissa’s violent pass over Jamaica spread nearly five million tons of debris, creating road blockages and disrupting access to basic services, the United Nations warned Thursday.
Melissa was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit Jamaica and has caused the worst climate disaster in the island’s history, the UN Development Program’s representative on the island, Kishan Khoday, told a press conference via video.
Initial estimates are that damage from the storm is approximately the equivalent of 30 percent of Jamaica’s GDP, with the number is expected to rise, Khoday said.
“This devastating hurricane left a trail of destruction across western Jamaica and central Jamaica, loss of life, homes, businesses, farms, infrastructure destroyed, livelihoods severely impacted, and tons of debris littered across the island,” the official said.
Based on satellite images, the UN agency estimates the hurricane left more than 4.8 million tons of debris, enough to fill almost half a million standard trucks.
“Entire communities are surrounded by debris,” said Khoday, insisting that removing this material soon is key to recovery.
“We need to act fast because delay means blocked roads, vital services at a standstill, lost income, and increased suffering to those hit hardest by the storm,” he added.
A week after the hurricane roared across the Caribbean, the death toll in Jamaica stands at 32, out of a total of 76 dead throughout the region.
It roared ashore in Jamaica as a top-strength Category 5 hurricane, before striking eastern Cuba.
The storm was made more powerful by human-caused climate change, according to a study by Imperial College London. – AFP
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