Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (As of 21 August 2023) – Haiti – ReliefWeb

Attachments

REGIONAL: HURRICANE SEASON

KEY FIGURES

70% CHANCE OF ABOVE-NORMAL ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON IN REVISED NOAA FORECAST.

1.5K PEOPLE SEEKING SHELTER IN BAJA CALIFORNIA AFTER TROPICAL STORM HILARY

ATLANTIC

The United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has revised its 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast from a 40 per cent chance of near-normal level of activity to a 70 per cent chance of an abovenormal season. The updated outlook calls for 14-21 named storms, 6-11 hurricanes, and 2-5 major hurricanes.

El Nio conditions, usually unfavourable for storm development, are likely to be offset by current atmospheric conditions, including warmer sea temperatures that drive storms. The season is underway with Emily, Gert and Franklin all currently active over the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

TROPICAL STORM FRANKLIN

Tropical Storm Franklin is expected to reach the southern coast of Hispaniola by the evening of 22 August. Tropical Storm warnings are in place in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where Franklin is anticipated to bring heavy rainfall, sustained winds of up to 85 km/h and storm surge of as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level along the coast. The increased rainfall may result in flash and urban flooding, river overflows and mudslides through 22-23 August. A Tropical Storm watch is also in place in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

PACIFIC

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall over Mexico's Baja California peninsula on 20 August, bringing strong winds, intense rains and waves of more than 40 feet. Hilary formed on 16 August as a tropical storm off the coast of Manzanillo, Mexico and strengthened as it moved towards the Pacific coast, prompting the Government to issue a tropical storm warning for the majority of the peninsula. By 19 August, forecasts predicted that Hilary would become a Category 4 storm, but it quickly weakened to Category 1 and then a tropical storm as it made landfall.

According to the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC), flooding and mudslides have caused damage to infrastructure and agriculture and resulted in the closure of a section of the highway in Baja California. Preliminary reports from CNPC indicate that at least one person has died and almost 1,500 people are currently in 37 temporary shelters.

HAITI: VIOLENCE & FOOD INSECURITY

KEY FIGURES

200K PEOPLE DISPLACED IN HAITI IN JULY DUE TO VIOLENCE

Violence and insecurity continue to escalate across the Port-Au-Prince Metropolitan Area (ZMPAP) amid reports of increasing food insecurity. Between 11-15 August, violence broke out in the Decayette, Carrefour-Feuilles and Savanne Pistache neighbourhoods. At least 50 houses were set on fire, with 28 people either killed or injured, including a local municipal representative and his family. The increased violence has forced almost 5,000 people to flee from these neighbourhoods in the past week. According to the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), violence displaced almost 200,000 people in July, including 130,000 in the ZMPAP, half of them children. This violence comes as Haiti faces unprecedented humanitarian needs, with almost 5 million people, half of the population, unable to find enough to eat. Prolonged drought, followed by flooding in June, have limited spring harvests, resulting in yields below the five-year average. This harvest accounts for 60 per cent of national agricultural production, raising further concerns of food insecurity among the poorest. Six months into the year, the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan is only 26 per cent funded, which is having dire consequences for implementing assistance. Additionally, in July, WFP was forced to reduce the number of people receiving emergency food aid in Haiti by 25 per cent due to decreased funding levels.

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Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (As of 21 August 2023) - Haiti - ReliefWeb