Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update as of 15 August 2025

KEY FIGURES

• 15K people affected by heavy rainfall in Vichada, Colombia.
• 42K people displaced in Centre and Artibonite, Haiti in July, alone.
• 10K confirmed cases of measles across the Americas so far in 2025.

REGIONAL: HURRICANE MONITORING

The Caribbean is bracing for the first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, with Tropical Storm Erin strengthening to Hurricane Erin on 15 August and possibly intensifying to Category 3 by 16 August. Authorities have issued watches and warnings in the northern Leeward Islands, where the storm is projected to bring heavy rainfall and storm surge. Tropical storm conditions could also occur in parts of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by 17 August. Humanitarian partners and UN teams are actively monitoring the storm’s progression to prepare for potential impacts across the affected areas. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Ivo, which formed on 6 August over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane briefly on 9 August before weakening again. While it didn’t make landfall, it brought heavy rainfall and storm surge, prompting storm alerts in southwestern Mexico. Authorities reported no damages.

COLOMBIA: HEAVY RAINFALL

Heavy rainfall in Colombia’s eastern department of Vichada has affected approximately 15,611 people or 4,871 families, including 106 Indigenous communities. The severe rain has also damaged 2,394 homes, 17 educational facilities, and one community centre. Reports indicate that rainfall has ceased, and river levels are slowly receding. The Departmental Risk Management Council is currently delivering emergency humanitarian assistance across all municipalities. In the municipality of Puerto Carreño, efforts are underway to establish community shelters with the support of local community action board leaders. Across the department, plans are in place for the rehabilitation of housing and roads.

HAITI: INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT

Violence has continued to expand beyond Port-au-Prince across Haiti, displacing more than 42,000 people in July, alone, in the Centre and Artibonite departments. According to IOM’s latest July report, there are now almost 1.3 million Haitians internally displaced in the country. More than 23,000 migrants were also forcibly returned. The growing insecurity, combined with a forecast for an active hurricane season, is raising the risk for displaced families living in makeshift shelters. Furthermore, cholera is spreading, with 2,800 suspected cases reported since December 2024. Humanitarian partners continue to respond despite funding, logistics, and access challenges. The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan has so far received only 19.5 per cent of the required funding. IOM and its partners successfully assisted 98,000 people through various activities including WASH, shelter assistance, protection and medical support.

REGIONAL: MEASLES & DENGUE

Ten countries in the Americas have reported measles outbreaks, with 10,139 confirmed cases as of early August, a 34-fold increase compared to the same period in 2024. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries to increase immunization coverage and strengthen surveillance. The countries with confirmed cases are Canada, Mexico, the United States, Bolivia, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Costa Rica, with 18 deaths reported across the region. Simultaneously, the region has reported 3,558,860 suspected dengue cases as of epidemiological week 29 in 2025. While overall this is a 69 per cent decrease compared to 2024, many countries are seeing spikes, with Belize reporting a 158 per cent increase, Costa Rica a 44 per cent increase, El Salvador a 34 per cent increase, and Mexico a 16 per cent increase in new cases compared to the previous four epidemiological weeks.