13,000 houses may have been damaged in the Bahamas

Some 13,000 houses may have been damaged or destroyed by the passage of Hurricane Dorian at
Bahamas, said
the Red Cross on Monday as the winds of 300 km / h hit the Caribbean archipelago.

"We do not yet have a complete picture of what happened. But it is clear that Hurricane Dorian had a catastrophic impact, "said Sune Bulow, head of the emergency operations center of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

"Significant shelter needs"

In a statement, the humanitarian official explained that the Geneva-based organization expects "significant shelter needs". Residents will also need clean water, health assistance and short-term economic support, he said.

Hurricane Category 5, described as "catastrophic" by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), landed on Sunday in Elbow Cay, on the Abacos Islands in northwestern Bahamas, a country of some 700 islands.

230,000 euros unlocked

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Dorian is "the most violent hurricane in modern history in northwestern Bahamas". The death toll is not yet known.

The hurricane caused "considerable damage to the Abacos Islands and Grand Bahama in the Bahamas," according to early rapid assessments of authorities and Red Cross officials in the field. On Abaco Island, extensive flooding has reportedly contaminated salt water wells, creating an urgent need for clean water. The IFRC has released Monday 250,000 Swiss francs (about 230,000 euros) from its emergency fund to fund first aid.

The Red Cross mobilized

Approximately 500 families will receive emergency assistance, including tarpaulins, blankets and solar phone chargers. These people will also receive financial support to repair or replace what they have lost. Hurricane Dorian is heading for Florida and the east coast of the United States. According to the American Red Cross, 19 million people live in areas that could be affected by the storm and up to 50,000 people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina may need emergency shelter based of its impact.

Hundreds of trained Red Cross volunteers, emergency response vehicles and more than 30 trucks loaded with relief supplies are mobilized to help those living in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.