UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has allocated 4 million U.S. dollars from its Central Emergency Response Fund for Haiti to prepare for Tropical Storm Melissa, a UN spokesperson said Wednesday.

The tropical storm could strengthen into a major hurricane potentially impacting the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and eastern Cuba, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told a daily briefing.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is closely monitoring the tropical storm, and UN humanitarians are working with their partners and the Caribbean disaster emergency management authority to step up preparedness activities, Haq said.

The storm is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds to Haiti, potentially leading to flooding, landslides and power outages, he said.

Based on this forecast, Haq said, the United Nations has allocated the funds so the World Food Programme, the UN Children's Fund and the International Organization for Migration can support more than 100,000 vulnerable people before the storm hits Haiti.

The funds were released as part of anticipatory action efforts, which allow the humanitarian community in Haiti to get ahead of the direst consequences of storms and hurricanes, he said.

The response will focus on critical early warning messages and life-saving evacuation support, as well as cash transfers, emergency shelter management, and water, sanitation and hygiene kits, according to the spokesperson. ■