UNICEF said it needs $6.2 million to meet the urgent needs of children affected by Hurricane Maria in Dominica. The category 5 storm, which hit the Caribbean island on September 19, forced 65,000 people, including 20,000 children, away from their homes.
The funds are part of a broader $28 million appeal by humanitarian agencies to provide immediate needs in one of the poorest islands in the Caribbean.
“Children need access to safe drinking water and sanitation, a safe return to school and protection,” said Maria Cristina Perceval, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Their needs should be addressed in an urgent manner.”
UNICEF will support national efforts to provide safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene to 37,500 people. UNICEF will also contribute to the establishment of temporary learning spaces, complete with educational materials, and will offer psycho-social support, protection, and care for the affected children.
This latest appeal raises the funding needed to address immediate needs in the Caribbean to $113.9 million, following a particularly devastating hurricane season which has impacted more than 2 million people.
