Overview: A Caribbean Emergency Expands
Hurricane Melissa has battered the Caribbean, affecting nearly 6 million people across Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica. The storm brought catastrophic winds, flooding, and widespread destruction to towns and villages that were already grappling with long-term vulnerabilities. As rescue and relief efforts mobilize, authorities warn that the needs extend beyond immediate shelter and food to safe water, healthcare, and long-term livelihoods.
WFP and UN Response
From Kingston, Jamaica, World Food Programme (WFP) officials reported that the priority remains to rapidly assess needs and establish life-saving assistance. Speaking to UN News, WFP spokespersons emphasized that delivering food, safe drinking water, and temporary shelter are the first steps in a multi-layered response. The communications from relief hubs across the region stress that coordination with local authorities and international partners will determine how quickly vulnerable families receive aid.
Impact by Country
In Haiti, communities faced not only wind and flood damage but damage to critical infrastructure, making access to basic services harder. Utilities, schools, and clinics were reported to be affected, with displaced residents seeking relief in makeshift shelters. In Cuba, the government and humanitarian partners are working to reach affected provinces with food, medicine, and water purification supplies, while also addressing agricultural losses that threaten the coming months’ food security. Jamaica saw significant property damage and flooding in several parishes, complicating rescue operations and hampering transportation of relief goods to remote areas.
Humanitarian Needs
Experts highlight several urgent needs: clean water and sanitation to prevent disease outbreaks, food assistance for families that lost harvests or incomes, temporary shelter for displaced households, and medical care for injuries and cholera or malaria risks in flood zones. Mental health support is also recognized as a critical but often overlooked requirement for communities traumatized by the storm and the loss of homes and livelihoods.
What Comes Next
Relief organizations anticipate a prolonged recovery period. While immediate aid aims to save lives, recovery will hinge on restoring basic services, rebuilding housing, and reviving economies grounded in agriculture and tourism. International donors are being sounded out for rapid funding to scale up relief operations and reconstruction efforts, including resilient housing and climate-adapted infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to future storms.
Community Resilience and Local Voices
Local leaders stress the importance of community-led recovery. Residents who endured the worst of Melissa describe the need for reliable emergency communication, better evacuation routes, and access to credit to restart livelihoods. Civil society organizations are mobilizing volunteers to support cleanup, distribute supplies, and document needs so that aid reaches the most affected households efficiently.
Call to Action
Officials reiterate that time is critical. Citizens, businesses, and donors are urged to contribute to verified humanitarian appeals and support programs that provide durable relief, safe housing, and livelihood restoration. As the region starts to rise from this disaster, the priority remains clear: protect the most vulnerable, expedite relief, and build back smarter to withstand future climatic shocks.
