Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica have suffered devastating impacts from Hurricane Melissa, which caused extensive damage, loss of life, and widespread disruption across the Caribbean. In Jamaica, the World Food Programme (WFP) has prioritized reaching isolated communities that remain cut off and without power. The parish of St. Elizabeth, known as the country’s breadbasket, has been particularly devastated, with homes, farms, and livelihoods destroyed.
To address the crisis, WFP has launched emergency food distributions for the hardest-hit families. So far, 1,500 people have received essential food kits containing rice, lentils, canned fish and meat, and vegetable oil. An additional 2,000 kits were airlifted from Barbados to support ongoing relief operations. The agency plans to assist up to 200,000 people in Jamaica to meet their urgent food needs in the coming weeks.
In Cuba, Hurricane Melissa caused widespread flooding, power outages, and extensive damage to infrastructure. Food assistance has already reached 181,000 people evacuated to shelters, with WFP aiming to support a total of 900,000 people across the country. In Haiti, the southern coastal regions have been the most affected, with homes and infrastructure washed away. Emergency food distributions have reached 12,700 people in the Grand Sud region, and WFP plans to help 190,000 people through a two-week food ration followed by a month of cash assistance to support recovery.
WFP spokesperson Alexis Masciarelli emphasized the ongoing challenge of reaching people in remote, inaccessible areas and highlighted the communication breakdowns that continue to hinder relief efforts. He noted that the recovery process will likely be a “very long marathon recovery period.”
To scale up operations, the WFP has launched an urgent appeal for $74 million to deliver life-saving assistance to up to 1.1 million people across the Caribbean. The agency continues to work closely with governments and partners to ensure the timely delivery of food and essential supplies to communities most in need.
