Latin America and the Caribbean

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN Weekly Situation Update (10-16 May 2021) As of 17 May 2021

KEY FIGURES LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN: COVID-19 Sources: COVID-19 Data Explorer - https://bit.ly/3vsHRP9

Cases, deaths & vaccines administered (17 May) 937.9K Please scan QR code Cases 31,001,181 +3.1% from 10 May NEW COVID-19 CASES IN LATIN to access OCHA/HDX AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN Deaths 982,704 +2.8% from 10 May COVID-19 Data Explorer FROM 10-16 MAY 2021 Vaccines 125,731,261 +3.2% from 10 May

125.7M HONDURAS in the state are currently at 63 per cent Mayors from seven Honduran capacity, prompting concerns that the COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES municipalities requested aid from overworked and understaffed health ADMINISTERED IN LATIN El Salvador in providing 121,800 system may again collapse. AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN COVID-19 vaccine doses, an amount that would cover about 70 per cent Although Brazil has administered more of the 97,485 people that live in than 48 million doses for a rate of 22.67 these municipalities. Honduras has doses per every 100 people, Amazonas’ received only 246,800 doses so far, sprawling geography presents a most through the COVAX Facility, significant challenge. Remote rural and remains at .58 doses per every 100 communities near the Amazon people, the lowest per capita rate in river are enclosed almost entirely by Latin America and the Caribbean. rainforest, prompting long trips to administer doses. Per the Amazonas The shipment comes as Honduras Health Surveillance Foundation (FVS- experienced the deadliest week of their AM), 28.4 per cent of rural residents COVID-19 pandemic during the first in Amazonas have received first doses week of May, with the week’s 331 compared to only 0.2 per cent who deaths and daily average of 47 deaths have been fully inoculated. well above any week in July 2020, the first peak of the pandemic. The rising CUBA trend in deaths indicates that May will Cuba began their COVID-19 likely be the deadliest month of the immunization drive with their pandemic for Honduras, with medical nationally-produced Soberana 02 experts anticipating more than 1,000 and Abdala vaccines that are still in deaths for a 30 per cent increase from late-stage clinical trials. The decision July 2020’s monthly death toll of 840. to kickstart vaccinations comes amid a surge in cases that saw April 2021 BRAZIL accumulate 2.6 times as many cases as The Amazonas state health secretary’s the 12,000 cases reported during all of office says they are working with 2020 and 1.5 times as many deaths as PAHO to prepare for a third wave the 2020 death toll of 146. Moreover, of COVID-19 cases following a 42.3 the growth in cases and deaths comes per cent increase in infections that amid a sharp economic downturn that experts say may continue unabated, is driving food and medicine shortages. especially if new variants are found. Cuba continues to develop three additional COVID-19 vaccines. Sources: State Government officials say they • Government of Honduras are bracing for the worst possible • Amazonas State Government (Brazil) scenario; intensive care units (ICUs) • Government of Cuba

The numbers presented are for orientation and not conclusive. Sources are reports from national authorities from public websites. Creation date: 17 May 2021 Sources: ReliefWeb Feedback: [email protected] | www.unocha.org/rolac | www.reliefweb.int p. 1/2 LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN Weekly Situation Update (10-16 May 2021) As of 17 May 2021

KEY FIGURES ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES: VOLCANIC ERUPTION The La Soufrière volcano in northern situation, especially as rehabilitation K St. Vincent has exhibited low seismic and reconstruction processes begin to 24.4 activity since a tremor associated with roll out. Moreover, eight emergency PEOPLE DISPLACED DUE TO LA a 22 April explosion and ash venting. shelters are reporting COVID-19 SOUFRIÈRE VOLCANO ERUPTION The volcano maintains a state of outbreaks, which, together with a unrest, with authorities indicating that relative increase in reported cases, activity may still occur with little to vaccine hesitancy and resistance to $6.9M no warning. Only a few long-period screening for infection at shelters, are MOBILIZED UNDER US$29.2 earthquakes have been recorded in driving serious concerns over further MILLION UN GLOBAL FUNDING recent days. The volcano alert level transmission. APPEAL remains orange. Per the findings of a joint UNEP/ As of 14 May, some US$6.9 million OCHA mission, ongoing debris flows have been mobilized under the $29.2 now contain wood and other natural million UN Global Funding Appeal materials that are retaining ash, thus launched on 20 April to support increasing the potential for flash floods St. Vincent and the Grenadines, for days after rainfall. The island’s representing a funding coverage of 23 topography and risk landscape will per cent. The mobilized funds include change with every rainfall; as such, funds that have been re-purposed by some communities may not be able UN agencies, as well as direct funding to return to normal activity. Going for the plan. forward, lahars will be a long-term problem over the next several years Shelter remains a priority concern due even after the volcano stops erupting. Sources: to a general hesitancy to return home Water demand will remain high during • UN Barbados & the Eastern Caribbean due to the uncertain nature of the ash clean-up operations.

REGIONAL: EARTHQUAKES

Per El Salvador’s Ministry of the Additionally, A 5.6-magnitude Environment and Natural Resources earthquake struck off Peru’s central (MARN), El Salvador was shaken by coast on 12 May, some 27km southwest seven earthquakes off their Pacific coast of the city of Ica. The quake was felt in with magnitudes ranging from 3.5 to Ica and, to a lesser extent, in the capital 5.9 in magnitude in the early hours of of Lima some 300km north of the 12 May. The quakes, which were felt epicentre. Peru’s Geophysics Institute with varying degrees of intensity along (IGP) reports the quake did not cause coastal areas, did not result in any any material or human casualties. material or human casualties.

Guatemala’s INSIVUMEH natural hazard monitoring authority reports Sources: that the quakes were felt in the • Ministry of the Environment and Natural Guatemalan departments of Escuintla Resources (El Salvador) and Jutiapa and the city of Santa Rosa, • National Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology Institute (Guatemala) adding that there are no reports of • Geophysics Institute of Peru material or human casualties.