UN allocates 4 mln USD each for Hurricane Melissa relief in Haiti, Cuba

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) has allocated 4 million U.S. dollars apiece for Haiti and Cuba to cope with Hurricane Melissa, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

The UN, in close coordination with affected nations, will explore launching appeals to address the humanitarian needs triggered by the disaster, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General is gravely concerned as Hurricane Melissa -- one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded -- unleashes widespread devastation across the Caribbean," he said.

The hurricane made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, bringing catastrophic rain and wind, before moving onward to Cuba and the Bahamas, and triggering floods in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti.

At least 20 people have died in Haiti as the hurricane swept through the country, local media reported on Wednesday.

Dujarric said the UN chief stands in solidarity with the governments and people affected by the hurricane, and conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.

The allocation comes from the Central Emergency Response Fund of the UN, as part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' anticipatory action program, said the statement. ■