Hurricane-hit Bahamas needs our help

Storms are getting worse as climate changes, William Lambers says.

Hurricane Dorian is the latest climate change tragedy to strike. We can take action to help storm victims in the Bahamas and those affected in the U.S.

The damage is catastrophic. Claire Nullis of the World Meteorological Organization says the hurricane “was the strongest on record to make landfall in the Bahamas. At its peak, it had maximum sustained winds of 270 km/h, which is absolutely huge, with gusts of up to 321 km/h.”

Grand Bahama and Abaco islands are the hardest hit. Deaths have been reported and some residents are still missing. The International Red Cross says more than 13,000 homes were damaged.

Christy Delafield of Mercy Corps says, “We’re hearing that thousands of houses have been destroyed and entire communities may be underwater. Based on satellite imagery, estimates are that 60 per cent of Grand Bahama Island may be submerged in water. Bahamas’ prime minister has said that in Marsh Harbour, Abaco’s capital, 60 per cent of homes were badly damaged.”

The UN World Food Programme and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency say more than 14,000 people will need food on Abaco, and in Grand Bahama over 47,000.

Hunger is a big risk in the aftermath of this storm with agriculture, fishing, food production and distribution damaged. Relief supplies will be required over an extended period of time.

The Bahamas will need immediate help and longterm support to rebuild. Coastal areas of the U.S. have also been hit hard and will need assistance. This is the reality of climate change where storms are more frequent and their intensity greater than in the past.

Denis Mcclean from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction explains, “This is the fourth consecutive year that we have witnessed an extremely devastating Atlantic hurricane season, including Category 5 hurricanes like Dorian. The sequence cannot be divorced from the fact that these last five years have been the hottest ever recorded because of the continuing rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”

Climate change and its impact are here and going to get worse, unless we take action. The rising temperatures and extreme weather are harming food production in many countries.

When storms or drought strike a nation repeatedly, it causes widespread displacement and malnutrition. Communities can barely recover from one disaster before another arrives.

We need to reduce carbon emissions, but also provide more support for small farmers around the globe to withstand disasters and recover land. We need more safety nets like school feeding in developing countries so parents don’t withdraw their kids when harsh times come after disasters. We must aggressively fight climate change and the hunger and chaos it brings.

To help hurricane victims in the Bahamas and the U.S., you can donate to the Red Cross or the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Mercy Corps and The Salvation Army are also accepting donations to provide hurricane relief in the Bahamas. Catholic Relief Services is fundraising to help church partners providing aid in the Bahamas.

William Lambers is an author who partnered with the UN World Food Programme on the book, Ending World Hunger.