In Cuba, Hurricane Melissa has left over 54,000 people displaced, including 7,500 in official shelters, with damage now far exceeding initial estimates. More than 600 health facilities and 90,000 homes have been affected. UN agencies are actively supporting the national response, assisting around 140,000 people in shelters and community kitchens, while distributing agricultural tools and livestock feed to help restore livelihoods. Efforts also include supplying equipment for disease prevention and delivering medical supplies to strengthen reproductive health services, including maternal care.
In Jamaica, access to isolated communities is gradually improving, with only two communities still unreachable compared to 27 last week. However, additional rainfall may once again limit access. Shelter remains a major concern, as 40,000 tarpaulins earmarked for delivery have not yet reached affected areas due to blocked and damaged roads. The UN World Food Programme has assisted 9,000 people in hard-hit Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth and plans to extend cash assistance to up to 90,000 households as conditions permit.
Haiti has suffered severe impacts, with Hurricane Melissa claiming more than 40 lives. Humanitarian partners are expanding operations across multiple departments, distributing hygiene kits, restoring electricity for vaccine refrigeration, providing psychosocial support in schools, and delivering 15-day food rations to the hardest-hit areas. In Petit Goâve, over 40,000 people are receiving food assistance, with further distributions planned. To overcome access challenges, the UN Humanitarian Air Service has added five new access points to reach isolated communities.
In the Philippines, emergency response efforts have scaled up following back-to-back Typhoon Kalmaegi and Super Typhoon Fung-Wong, which affected 8.3 million people and displaced over 1.4 million across Luzon. Prior to landfall, the WFP delivered emergency cash transfers to more than 210,000 people to support evacuation and preparation. Since the storms, 187,000 family food packs have been distributed, enough to sustain nearly one million people. Telecommunications units and generators have been deployed to restore connectivity, while logistics teams coordinate relief across 14 provinces. The UN Resident Coordinator highlighted the success of government-led preparedness and early warning systems, fully supported by UN agencies.
