HUNGER IN
the Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl is devastating islands in the Caribbean. Survivors have lost everything and food systems are falling apart. People are counting on our emergency response.
CATEGORY 5 STORM
Slams Into the Caribbean
The Caribbean is one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions. Hurricane Beryl is the latest storm to hit and has already torn through Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Tobago. The hurricane, which made landfall on July 1 as a dangerous Category 4 storm, has already strengthened to Category 5. Life-threatening winds up to 130 mph, heavy rain and storm surges have destroyed infrastructure including houses and fishing boats.
The United Nations World Food Programme is providing emergency logistics support and preparing to provide food assistance for 15,000 people. Our teams are on standby to help affected communities.
Of the region’s population
is food insecure
Disasters have hit in the
last 60 years
People received WFP
assistance in 2023
How Do Natural Disasters Drive Hunger?
Climate extremes like Hurricane Beryl are one of the main drivers of acute hunger. Whether from life-threatening winds and storm surges or heavy flooding, communities are often left with one or more of these realities:
1. Food Shortages
Disasters disrupt food supply chains by destroying agricultural land, roads and infrastructure. This can lead to local food shortages as communities have no way to grow or access food.
5. Land Degradation
Frequent and intense climate-related disasters can wipe out vast stretches of farmland and destroy entire harvests. Over time, recurring disasters like floods or droughts degrade soil, which makes farmland barren.
3. Forced Migration
In the aftermath of a disaster, families may migrate in search of food, safe housing or healthcare. This forced displacement also cuts people off from steady sources of food and puts them at higher risk of experiencing acute hunger.
2. Unsafe Drinking Water
Drinking water can become contaminated and unsafe in the aftermath of a disaster. This can lead to disease and/or worsen malnutrition.
4. Inflation
When disasters wipe out crops and livestock, food prices go up. The cost of basic foods soon rises beyond what most people can afford.
WFP IS HELPING FAMILIES IN THE CARIBBEAN
The U.N. World Food Programme supports 22 countries and territories across the Caribbean. With partners, we work to prepare communities for emergencies and strengthen their resilience to increasingly frequent and extreme weather events.
In the wake of natural disasters, WFP can deliver emergency food assistance within 72 hours to people who have lost everything. Often, we provide ready-to-eat high-energy biscuits to the hardest-hit areas.
WFP oversees the delivery of supplies and staff for the entire aid community. Our U.N. Humanitarian Air Service can transport staff, medical equipment, food and water to people in hard-to-reach locations.
To mitigate the impact of disasters like hurricanes, WFP pre-positions stocks of emergency food. This enables us to respond swiftly when disaster strikes and immediately put hot meals into the hands of survivors.
Updates from The Caribbean?
Donate to save lives
Help us deliver emergency food aid to survivors of Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean.