By Eric Green
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The United Nations has joined the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS) in helping the Caribbean nations most affected by Hurricane Ivan, which has been called one of the strongest storms on record to ever hit the region.

In a September 14 statement, the U.N. said its disaster assessment team was in Grenada, the most devastated country, to help that nation's authorities respond to the effects of Ivan. Hurricane Ivan passed through the nation September 7, killing dozens of people and leaving thousands homeless.

The U.N. said a preliminary assessment indicates that 90 percent of Grenada's population of about 90,000 people was affected by Ivan, either by losing homes or livelihoods as a result of the storm's destructive powers.

The U.N. said thousands of people in Grenada are living in temporary shelters, while hospitals are damaged, telephone lines are down, and power supplies have been interrupted. But the U.N. said water supply services are gradually returning and cellular phones are working in some areas.

In Jamaica, another country damaged by Ivan, the U.N. said there is a shortage of potable water and electricity. The U.N. said its humanitarian affairs office is sending more disaster-response staff to help run 24-hour centers that will coordinate the work of Jamaican authorities and aid agencies. One center was set up at the Kingston airport, and another was to be established at the international airport at Montego Bay.

The U.N. said in Cuba, the most recent country to bear the brunt of Ivan, some 1.3 million people were evacuated from their homes to escape the storm.

Anwarul Chowdhury, the most senior U.N. official for the world's small island states, said he was shocked at the trail of destruction and misery that Ivan had caused in the Caribbean.

Chowdhury, under-secretary-general and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, said the hurricane "shows again the extreme vulnerability" of small island countries and "the urgent and immediate need for the international community to come to their assistance now and in the future."

In that regard, the United States announced September 9 it has provided over $250,000 in assistance to Grenada to help that island nation cope with the aftermath of Ivan, which passed through Grenada at sustained winds of 120 miles per hour.

The announcement said two rapid-needs assessment teams from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are on the ground in Grenada to determine the impact of the hurricane, to determine humanitarian assistance requirements, and to coordinate U.S. government assistance.

According to the announcement, a USAID assessment team is also in place in Jamaica to help that country prepare for the effects of Hurricane Ivan.

The OAS also pledged its support for aiding the Caribbean. In a September 13 statement, the OAS said it plans to "mobilize as much disaster relief as possible." The OAS said citizens in the Caribbean are "now picking up the pieces" after Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Ivan "cut a deadly trail" through the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.

The OAS said it is considering what immediate assistance it can provide through the "appropriate emergency response mechanisms." The OAS said it will seek to coordinate with other regional and international agencies to mobilize the required disaster relief.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo de Rato, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), released a September 13 statement in which he said his organization stands ready to help the affected Caribbean nations "in any way it can."

Rato said the IMF is "fully supporting" reconstruction and recovery efforts in the region.

The U.N. said that more than 20 of the over 50 small-island developing countries around the world have been severely affected by hurricanes, typhoons, or major floods in 2003 and 2004 -- including some more than once during this period.

Strategies for preparing for natural disasters such as Hurricane Ivan and for mitigating their impact will be discussed in January 2005 in Mauritius at an international meeting for the sustainable development of small-island developing states.