KINGSTON, Jamaica ¨C The United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ), in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), today launched a cash assistance programme for Jamaicans severely impacted by category 5 Hurricane Melissa in October.
KINGSTON / HAVANA / PORT-AU-PRINCE ¨C One month after Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) has reached more than half million people with emergency food assistance and is pivoting toward recovery. Â鶹ÊÓƵ is working with governments and communities to lay the foundations for long-term resilience; introducing cash-based support where markets are functional, restoring livelihoods and repairing essential services.
Panama/Santiago de Chile ¨C A new report by the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) reveals the transformative potential of public food procurement from smallholder farmers to strengthen food security and nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean.
KINGSTON / HAVANA / PORT-AU-PRINCE ¨C As the full extent of Hurricane Melissa¡¯s destruction emerges, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) is intensifying relief efforts in the hardest-hit areas to support local authorities. Almost 6 million people across Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti have been impacted by the storm.
PANAMA CITY, Panama ¨C?As Tropical Storm Melissa moves slowly across the Caribbean bringing heavy rains and strong winds, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) is working with governments and partners to help communities prepare for and reduce the storms impact. Forecasts suggest the storm could develop into a major hurricane over the weekend.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s efforts across the Caribbean are focusing on early action, helping people before disaster strikes to pre-emptively protect food-insecure communities.
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS ¨C Nearly 3.2 million people in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean are food insecure, according to the latest Food Security and Livelihoods Survey by the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In 2025, 30 percent of Caribbean people reported eating less than usual; which is in line with the trend over the last 4 years arising from increased food costs that accompanied global geopolitical factors.
This is a summary of what was said by Â鶹ÊÓƵ Regional Director in Latin America and the Caribbean, Lola Castro, to whom quoted text may be attributed ¨C at the UN Noon Briefing in New York today
NEW YORK/ PANAMA CITY: As the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ Regional Coordinator in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2021, I have frequently visited Haiti over the past four years.
BRIDGETOWN ¨C The United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ today joined the Government of Barbados and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to inaugurate the Caribbean¡¯s newest disaster preparedness and response hub.
GRENADA - The United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) has supported Caribbean nations to ensure that climate insurance payouts triggered by category-5 Hurricane Beryl in July last year are used for social subsidies to get the most vulnerable back on their feet. The Governments of Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will use a US$ 5.5 million portion of the payout to assist people affected by the tropical storm.
Port-au-Prince ¨C Amidst ongoing violence in Haiti, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) has rapidly expanded its food assistance, reaching more than half a million people since the start of the current crisis in March this year. Â鶹ÊÓƵ is reaching vulnerable communities with food distributions including hot meals for people living in temporary shelters in conflict-affected Port-au-Prince, cash disbursements and school meals.
Massachusetts /Panama City - The Civic Data Design Lab (CCDL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) have been recognized among winners of the 2023 Anthem Awards which highlight excellence in social impact. The project ¡°Distance Unknown: Risks and Opportunities of Migration in the Americas¡± today received a Gold Medal in the ¡®Humanitarian Action & Services¡¯ category for ¡®Best use of data¡¯.
BOGOTA - The Innovation Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean (HZero) - managed by the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) in Colombia - celebrated the conclusion of a programme that supported 10 innovative projects from six countries in the region. Together, these projects are making a positive impact on the lives of over 85,000 people and contributing to Zero Hunger.
The region has the highest cost for a healthy diet compared to the rest of the world, at USD 3.89 per person per day, while the world average is USD 3.54.
BRIDGETOWN ¨C The number of people estimated to be facing moderate to severe levels of food insecurity in the English-speaking Caribbean has risen by an alarming 46 percent over the last six months. Nearly 4.1 million people or 57 percent of the population now face food insecurity, according to a recent survey conducted by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ).
PANAMA CITY ¨C The number of severely food insecure people has shot up by over half a million between December 2021 and March 2022 in Latin America and the Caribbean, as the region struggles to cope with the fallout of COVID-19, now coupled with the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine, warns the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ).
BRIDGETOWN ¨C An estimated 2.8 million people or nearly 40 percent of the population in the English-speaking Caribbean is food insecure, 1 million more than in April 2020, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ).
MANAGUA ¨C As powerful Hurricane Eta makes landfall along the northern Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ), at the request of the Government, has positioned 80 metric tons of food assistance in the region. The Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 240 km/h, is bringing heavy rain and causing damage to homes, agricultural fields, roads and power lines.
PORT-AU-PRINCE ¨C In a major institutional step towards building resilience against hunger, the Government of Haiti officially adopted its National Social Protection and Promotion Policy, supported by the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ).
PANAMA CITY ¨C The socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean could potentially leave around 14 million* vulnerable people in severe food insecurity this year, warranting urgent attention to save lives, according to projections by the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ).
NASSAU ¨C The United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) is distributing food vouchers to assist 500 of the most vulnerable families living on hurricane-stricken Abaco in the Bahamas, which will allow them to buy the food of their choice and prioritise their needs.
