Attachments
Highlights
• A total of 69 fatalities have been confirmed after Category-5 Hurricane Dorian hit Abaco and Grand Bahama islands on 1 September, and 4,861 evacuees have been registered by the Department of Social Services. Nevertheless the number of evacuees is estimated to be much higher as some used private transport to evacuate to Eleuthera and the United States. Dorian destroyed informal settlements in Central Abaco leaving these communities in a very vulnerable situation.
• The number of people in official shelters has decreased from 1,957 people as of 20 September, to 589 people in two shelters as of 13 November. Partners in the field have observed increasing numbers of people returning in parts of Abaco, while some families have decided to split temporarily, leaving children and women in shelters in Nassau.
• In Abaco, out of 21, six public schools have reopened with 651 students attending, while in Grand Bahama 18 schools, out of 22, have reopened. UNICEF has distributed recreational kits in four of the reopened schools in Abaco and ten more in Grand Bahama. Additionally, UNICEF is supporting debris removal, mold remediation, sanitation and light repairs in four public schools in Grand Bahama.
• The Water and Sewage Corporation (WSC) has been working diligently to restore piped water distribution in Abaco and currently five out of ten operational systems are running, although intermittently. Therefore, quantity and quality are not ensured throughout the day. WSC is working in collaboration with UNICEF and WASH sector partners to improve the networks and to reduce the risk of future failure through the procurement of emergency equipment, including generators.
• Through UNICEF-supported actions, recreational kits are being distributed in schools in Abaco and will benefit at least 3,000 students. Additional school supplies have been distributed to authorities and will benefit 6,000 schoolaged children and 4,000 children under 6 years old.
• Aiming at building capacities to provide psychosocial support services in emergencies, 60 volunteers have been trained in Nassau and Grand Bahama, with UNICEF support.
• UNICEF has recently signed an agreement with Water Mission to build back better the water supply system of Marsh Harbour city on Abaco island, through solarization of the wellfield and pumping station. The restored system will benefit over 12,000 people monthly and around 1,220 children who will be provided access to safe water in schools, temporary learning spaces and other child-friendly spaces.
• UNICEF has revised its appeal to US$3.5 million, to ensure full implementation of resources by mid-December 2019, with key partnerships identified in Education, Child Protection and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sectors. The total requested amount has been received via generous contributions through UNICEF's National Committees in the United States, the Netherlands, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom.
Situation in Numbers
+5,500 Estimated No. of people evacuated in Nassau. (OCHA, 4 oct.)
4,861 Evacuees registered by Min. of Social Services. (NEMA, 18 Oct.)
589 No. of people in official shelters. (NEMA, 13 Nov.)
UNICEF Appeal Sept - Dec 2019
US$ 3.5 million
Funding Overview and Partnerships
During the first two months after Hurricane Dorian hit The Bahamas leaving massive destruction over Abaco and Grand Bahama islands, UNICEF identified and built critical partnerships to enable the implementation of emergency relief and recovery actions, as well as to provide critical support for strengthening the capacities of the Bahamian authorities in the sectors of Education, Child Protection and WASH.
Based on the current demands and the existing capacities in country, including from a diverse group of NGOs, civil society organizations, private sector and Government, UNICEF has revised its appeal to US$3.5 million, to ensure full implementation of resources by mid-December 2019. As of 15 November, the total appeal has been covered. Generous contributions from private donors and individual donations channelled through UNICEF's National Committees in the United States, Netherlands, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom have enabled UNICEF to advance in the implementation of its response plan. As the situation and needs are still evolving, UNICEF will continue to monitor the situation of children and incorporate changes to its response lines if needed.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
After Category-5 Hurricane Dorian struck Abaco and Grand Bahama, as many as 5,500 people were evacuated to Nassau in New Providence island, many more fled to other islands or left the country. A total of 69 fatalities had been confirmed as of 19 November and 4,861 evacuees had been registered by the Department of Social Services as of 18 October. Dorian also destroyed informal settlements in Central Abaco, leaving these already vulnerable communities in a precarious situation, including undocumented migrants -many of them fearing deportation. Although the current number of missing persons is yet to be confirmed, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that 876 missing persons had been found alive by 18 October, but the figures will change as the list of missing persons is cross-checked against shelter lists and other records.
In the capital Nassau, the number of people in official shelters has decreased considerably from 1,957 people in nine official shelters as of 20 September,to 589 people in two shelters as of 13 November. Although there is no official census of population returning to the affected islands, humanitarian partners in the field have observed increasing numbers of people returning to parts of Abaco. Some of the evacuee families have decided to split, with men returning to their places of origin to take care of the family’s properties while women and children stay in shelters. The most disadvantaged of them are in search for additional income in reconstruction works. Moreover, IOM reported that by 13 November an additional 865 people were being sheltered in private housing, while 46 evacuated children were hosted in children-only collective centres. Authorities have grouped evacuees in a reduced number of official shelters. A plan for joint support to mass shelters has been prepared by partners and authorities to ensure that sites are equipped to meet the increased demand for services for an extended period of time.
In Abaco, as of 6 November, local authorities reported that six public schools had been reopened,10 with 651 students attending, mainly in North and South Abaco, as well as in some cays where damages were less severe. The number of children back to school is expected to increase gradually as more families are beginning to return to certain areas of Abaco. Some of the students of closed schools are attending classes in community buildings including libraries and churches due to extensive damage to school buildings. Given the considerable damages in high schools' infrastructure, all high school students in Abaco are attending classes through distance learning, with frequent internet outages challenging their learning progress.
In Grand Bahama, district education authorities reported that out of the 22 public schools in the island, four were completely destroyed and 18 had partial damages. All schools, except the four completely destroyed, were reopened. Children of the four closed schools were integrated into existing open schools. Moreover, the Ministry of Education (MoE) reports that 1,500 students have been placed in public schools throughout New Providence and the Family Islands so far, while an undetermined number of students remain unregistered.
Although the water network in Grand Bahama is back in operation, the salinity of water in the wells is still high as fresh water aquifers were infiltrated with salt water. The water currently provided by the network is not safe for drinking but can be used for bathing and household hygiene. Drinking water is currently provided by a number of INGOs, civil society organizations in the field, including church groups, via water treatment plants (reverse osmosis) and water trucking provided in jerrycans (5 gallon). Bottled water is available in some of the local markets that have reopened, but mainly from imported brands as only one out of 12 local companies has resumed production, and two other local companies have requested the Environmental Health Department to appraise them before resuming production. The Grand Bahama Utility Company is in the process of drilling freshwater wells for provision of potable water, and it is anticipated that in February-March 2020, will be in position to provide sufficient water for domestic use, as well as for businesses.
The Water and Sewage Corporation (WSC) is making progress in getting the Abaco water system back online. By the time of this report, only one out of 11 systems is not operational. However, five out of the ten operational systems are running intermittently and rely on generators which were severely damaged by Dorian and are not designed to be running full time. Hence there is a high risk of failure and temporal black-outs of water supply across the island.
Both in Abaco and Grand Bahama there are concerns about potential environmental risks and contamination of water wells associated to debris disposal.