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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/bahamas-dorian-effects-buzz-demo-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8483" /><figcaption>Devastation in The Bahamas after the passage of Hurricane Dorian (Photo: Pan American Health Organisation [PAHO])</figcaption></figure>
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<p>The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has made an initial US$3.5million appeal from donors to cover short-term health care and other needs for residents in The Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian.</p>
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<p>The devastating category 5 storm made
landfall a week ago in northwest Bahamas.</p>
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<p>It severely affected the health sector,
with significant destruction of equipment and medical supplies and electrical
and water supplies in Abaco and Grand Bahama.</p>
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<p>The US$3.5 million is a preliminary
estimate to cover short- term healthcare, water and sanitation, epidemiological
surveillance and vector-control needs in the Islands most affected by Hurricane
Dorian for the next six months.</p>
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<p>PAHO noted that some 73,000 persons were
affected, and there are hundreds in shelters in the disaster zone.</p>
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<p>“While 43 deaths have been officially
reported thus far, mass casualty numbers are expected to rise significantly as
more areas become accessible and search and rescue operations continue,” PAHO
says.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/dr-ciro-ugarte-buzz-demo-paho-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8484" /><figcaption> Director of Health Emergencies at PAHO, Dr. Ciro Ugarte (Photo: Flickr)</figcaption></figure>
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<p>Director of Health Emergencies Dr. Ciro
Ugarte at PAHO further explained, “Our priority concerns are to restore access
to essential health services and continued medical care delivery, to ensure
water quality in affected communities and health facilities, and to restore
proper hygiene and sanitation.”</p>
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<p>So far, 14 PAHO experts are in the disaster
zone to provide surge capacity in logistics, civil and military coordination,
information management, epidemiological surveillance, communications, and
coordination.</p>
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<p>The funding requests includes $1.3 million
to restore healthcare delivery in affected areas, $500,000 for surveillance to
detect and manage disease outbreaks, $800,000 for safe access to water,
emergency sanitation and control of disease vectors.</p>
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<p>It also includes $671,000 to coordinate
humanitarian assistance and manage information to address the most urgent
humanitarian needs.</p>
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