UN Refugee Agency delivers aid to Belize hurricane victims

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Friday, 26 of August, began delivering vital aid to thousands of residents in Belize including acutely vulnerable asylum-seekers struggling to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Earl earlier this month.

“We are working with our UN sister agencies, our national partner Help for Progress and others in support of the admirable efforts by the Government of Belize to ensure effective help reaches those who need it most,” said Soufiane Adjali, the UNHCR representative in Belize.

Operating in close coordination with the UN Development Program (UNDP), the UN Refugee Agency is helping distribute aid items ranging from corrugated steel roofing, lumber and siding materials to mattresses, blankets, sanitation kits and other cleaning supplies.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) provided an Emergency Cash Grant of 45,977 USD (91,954 BZD) to pay for the relief and reconstruction materials, which will be purchased locally wherever possible to provide a boost to the local economy.

Hurricane Earl slammed into Belize during the night of August 4 and pounded the country for 15 hours, tearing roofs off homes, uprooting many trees and causing widespread flood damage to home and to agricultural lands which are the main source of livelihood for many in Belize.

The lives of some 10,000 people, including over 3,000 asylum-seekers forced to flee deadly violence in their home countries of El Salvador and Guatemala, were devastated by the storm which caused an estimated 110 million USD (220 million BZD) in damage.

The hurricane impacted all six districts in Belize, but the Belize District, Orange Walk, Cayo – where many of the persons of concern to UNHCR reside – and Stann Creek were hit particularly hard.

Media contact: 

Chris Boian, [email protected], +1 (202) 243-7634