At least 75 people have been killed and nearly five million others affected across the Caribbean following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, which tore through the region last week, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The powerful storm battered Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica, displacing more than 770,000 residents and destroying thousands of homes, schools, and hospitals.
According to Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, humanitarian agencies are working tirelessly to assist affected communities and accelerate recovery efforts.
In Jamaica, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has deployed additional teams to support the government’s emergency operations and coordinate aid delivery.
Cuba’s recovery efforts are being reinforced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which has begun distributing tools, livestock feed, and fishing equipment to help families rebuild their livelihoods.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is also on the ground, providing mobile warehouses, lighting towers, and temporary shelters to the hardest-hit eastern regions.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is delivering reproductive health kits and partnering with local groups to safeguard women and girls, particularly against the growing threat of gender-based violence amid widespread displacement.
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Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supplying roofing materials, generators, and toolkits to assist with home reconstruction and community rehabilitation.
Ensuring access to clean water remains a top priority.
UNICEF has begun distributing water purification units and storage containers capable of supplying safe drinking water to nearly 16,000 people each day.
As recovery operations continue, the Caribbean faces an enormous rebuilding task.
From Cuba’s coastal towns to Haiti’s mountain communities, the region is uniting in resilience — determined to recover from Hurricane Melissa’s devastation with support from international partners.
