Hurricane Dorian: 70,000 in need of 'immediate' aid
September 5, 2019
The death toll from Hurricane Dorian rose to 20 on Wednesday, as rescuers began searching through the wreckage on the Bahamas in the wake of the devastating storm.
"At this point, we are starting to get a more vivid picture of the loss of life, at least in Abaco, and the loss of life in Grand Bahama," Bahamian Minister of Health Duane Sands told local radio.
"But bear in mind that search and rescue exercises, exploration of homes that were flooded, is just now starting," he added.
The United Nations said that some 70,000 people were "in immediate need of life-saving assistance" in the archipelago. The most urgent needs are currently food, water, shelter and medicine.
The UN also released $1 million (€906,000) from its emergency fund to provide aid to the victims.
Rescue efforts have been ramping up, with US Coast Guard and Royal Navy helicopters carrying out medical evacuations and assessing the damage.
Some people on Grand Bahama island used jet skis and boats to try and pull people trapped in homes hit by flooding or wind damage. The international airport in the city of Freeport was severely damaged in the storm, making its runways unusable and complicating relief efforts.
Georgia, Carolinas on alert
Hurricane Dorian left catastrophic destruction in the Bahamas after slamming into the region as a Category 5 storm.
Dorian hovered over the Bahamas for a full day, bringing devastating wind and rain that ripped apart buildings and led to massive flooding.
The storm weakened to a Category 2, but still has high winds and could bring a dangerous storm surge and was later upgraded again to a Category 3 storm.
Dorian is currently inching along the southeastern coast of the United States, with the states of Georgia and South and North Carolina on alert.
Around 830,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders along the South Carolina coast.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to come dangerously close to the city of Charleston, bringing a high tide and storm surge of up to 10.3 feet (3.1 meters).
rs/sms (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)