Geneva/Kingston, 14 November 2025 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Airbnb.org have partnered to provide free emergency housing for families and frontline responders displaced by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. The Category 5 storm, which made landfall on 29 October, was the first of its kind to hit Jamaica, causing widespread flooding, landslides, and destruction across the Caribbean, including Cuba and Haiti. In Jamaica alone, over 400,000 people are living in inadequate housing, with around 2,487 in collective emergency centres.
Amy Pope, IOM Director General, emphasized that the partnership helps restore a sense of safety and dignity for those affected. Through the collaboration, IOM and Airbnb.org will provide free temporary accommodation for displaced families, essential government workers, and vulnerable individuals such as women, children, and older persons, offering up to 2,000 nights of housing funded by Airbnb.org and its donors. The organizations are coordinating with government officials to connect those most in need to safe shelter.
IOM is also delivering 4,470 emergency relief items from its Barbados warehouse to support affected communities. These supplies include tarpaulins, shelter repair kits, generators, air mattresses, hygiene kits, solar lamps, and bedding, which are being distributed in partnership with Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), prioritizing the hardest-hit areas.
In addition to relief distribution, IOM is using its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) and the Latin America and Caribbean Pre-Evacuation Platform to map evacuation centres and track displacement across Jamaica and neighbouring islands. Data and maps of the hurricane’s path and shelter locations are being shared with partners to strengthen the humanitarian response.
The IOM–Airbnb.org partnership builds on years of collaboration connecting displaced communities to temporary housing worldwide. Since 2019, the organizations have supported tens of thousands of displaced people affected by crises in Ukraine, Venezuela, and Türkiye, providing shelter and humanitarian support in times of urgent need.
