Hurricane Melissa, the first Category 5 hurricane on record to strike Jamaica directly, is bringing the threat of catastrophic winds, torrential rains, and widespread flooding across the Caribbean. Millions are at risk. Together with our local partners, CARE is urgently mobilizing to deliver lifesaving relief in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas and to lay the groundwork for recovery.
Our response in Jamaica will focus on:
- Health: First aid, hygiene supplies, and psychosocial first aid for affected families and caregivers.
- Food security and livelihoods: Emergency food rations, multipurpose cash assistance, and seeds and tools for women farmers to restore production and income.
- Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH): Distribution of household water-treatment kits,
storage containers, and hygiene supplies.
- Shelter: Tarpaulins, toolkits, and emergency repair materials for damaged homes, prioritizing families headed by women and older people.
- Protection: Survivor-centered referrals for women and girls who have experienced violence and training of community focal points.
In Jamaica, CARE and our partner, the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers, also
distributed emergency supplies in advance of the storm. In Haiti, CARE is planning to distribute emergency cash assistance to affected families. In the Bahamas and Cuba, CARE and our partners are preparing for the hurricane’s arrival and planning our response.
