The United Nations and its partners are moving at top speed to coordinate and deliver aid across the Caribbean to support government responses in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it is working with partners to support the governments and deliver urgent assistance to millions of people in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti who were in the storm’s path. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher emphasised that international help is essential for survival right now.

In Cuba, the storm caused serious damage, particularly in the eastern provinces like Santiago and Holguin, and hundreds of communities are still cut off because roads, railways, and airports are blocked. OCHA said it is helping to develop a UN action plan to guide the response, with a team deployed in-country and additional support from its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

In Jamaica, the UN is helping with the national response, specifically by assisting teams that are quickly assessing what people need. In Haiti, a country already struggling with a huge crisis and violence, humanitarian teams are working with local authorities to provide critical support like temporary shelters, food, essential supplies, and cash to those affected.