Nearly 6 Million Affected as Hurricane Melissa Devastates Caribbean

Communities in Jamaica are clearing up after the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Nearly six million people have been affected by the Category Five hurricane that swept across the Caribbean last week, prompting UN agencies to scale up relief operations to protect livelihoods and prevent further losses.

Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica all suffered extensive damage and loss of life as a result of Hurricane Melissa.

Speaking from the Jamaican capital, Kingston, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Alexis Masciarelli told UN News that “our priority right now is to reach the most isolated communities.”

WFP has launched emergency food distributions for the hardest-hit families, and additional relief supplies are scheduled to arrive in the coming days, the agency reported.

Food Airlifted

The parish of St Elizabeth — long regarded as the country’s breadbasket — has been particularly hard hit, with homes, farms, and livelihoods destroyed, and many communities still cut off and without power.

So far, 1,500 people have received food kits containing rice, lentils, canned fish and meat, and vegetable oil, while an additional 2,000 kits were airlifted from Barbados to support ongoing relief efforts.

WFP plans to assist up to 200,000 people in Jamaica to meet urgent food needs.

In Cuba, Hurricane Melissa caused widespread flooding, power outages, and significant damage. Food distributions have already reached 181,000 people evacuated to shelters, and WFP aims to assist a total of 900,000 people.

In Haiti, homes and infrastructure along the southern coast — the hardest-hit area — have been washed away. Emergency food distributions have reached 12,700 people across the Grand Sud region. WFP plans to assist 190,000 people, offering a two-week food ration followed by a month of cash assistance to support recovery.

Challenges Ahead

Mr Masciarelli emphasised that the main challenge ahead is reaching people “in the last mile — those who need help the most in areas that remain inaccessible.”

He also highlighted the ongoing communication breakdown, with many areas still cut off after the hurricane, making it difficult to assess needs and monitor the situation day by day.

Reiterating WFP’s commitment to meeting people’s food needs and supporting relief efforts, the spokesperson noted that the recovery process would likely be “a very long marathon recovery period.”

On Wednesday, WFP launched an urgent appeal for $74 million to deliver life-saving assistance to up to 1.1 million people across the Caribbean. The UN food agency continues to work with governments and partners to ensure the delivery of emergency supplies and assistance to affected communities.