Humanitarian response to Hurricane Matthew in Jamaica

The most powerful hurricane in the Atlantic for nine years is moving towards Jamaica with wind speeds forecast to be strong enough to destroy buildings.

Two MapAction volunteers are travelling to Jamaica as a prepositioned humanitarian mapping team in advance of Hurricane Matthew which is due to make landfall by Monday.

Tropical storm warnings have also been issued for parts of coastal Colombia and Haiti over the weekend.

MapAction’s assistance has been requested by the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team. The joint MapAction-UNDAC team is travelling in advance of the storm in order to be on the ground and ready to respond before the impact of the storm is felt.

From Jamaica MapAction’s volunteers will closely monitor and plot the path of the storm, helping responders understand the likely impact before and after the hurricane passes. Being at the scene means they will have access to the most up-to-date situational data and be able to identify quickly which communities have been worst affected.

MapAction has experience of prepositioning teams for past emergencies, including Typhoon Haiyan which caused significant loss of life and extensive damage in the Philippines in November 2013. This prepositioning of MapAction’s specialist skills proved invaluable in the case of Typhoon Haiyan as airports were closed and in many cases damaged following the storm, causing significant challenges and delays in accessing affected areas.

Spokespeople from MapAction can be available for comment:

• In Jamaica: Alan Mills, MapAction volunteer, will be arriving in Jamaica early on Sunday morning and can give insights into preparations on the ground.
• In UK: Liz Hughes, MapAction Chief Executive, can provide commentary on prepositioning the response and likely humanitarian needs based on similar missions, such as Typhoon Haiyan.