he United Nations has issued urgent warnings as Hurricane Melissa threatens to bring destructive winds, dangerous storm surges, and catastrophic rainfall across the Caribbean. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that the organization is working closely with Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams, deploying additional staff to Cuba and Jamaica to strengthen emergency preparedness and coordinate on-the-ground response efforts.
In Cuba, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that preparations have intensified, including the pre-positioning of over 100 tons of rice, hygiene kits for 6,500 people, fuel bonds, and widespread prevention messaging. To support these efforts, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated approximately $4 million to Cuba ahead of the storm’s landfall.
A special focus has also been placed on Haiti, a country already struggling with gang violence, disease outbreaks, and gender-based violence. OCHA and partners are working with national authorities to bolster preparedness and mitigate the hurricane’s potential impacts. Priority needs identified include emergency shelters, essential household supplies, hygiene kits, safe drinking water, and logistical support to access remote areas.
Across the region, UN agencies are scaling up their response. The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing logistics, generators, and food assistance to families in Jamaica, which faces the threat of one of its strongest storms on record. Meanwhile, UNICEF has pre-positioned water, sanitation, and child protection supplies, while the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reinforces emergency health operations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) prepares shelter support. UNICEF emphasized that Latin America and the Caribbean is the second most disaster-prone region globally, with children among the most vulnerable to the devastating impacts of natural disasters like Hurricane Melissa.
