Today, the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development), announced that Canada will match donations made to the Canadian Red Cross's Hurricane Melissa Appeal. Every donation made by individuals to the Canadian Red Cross's appeal retroactively from October 28, 2025, until November 24, will be matched, up to a total of $1.5 million.
These funds, which are being raised through the generosity of Canadians, will help the Red Cross Movement to support critical humanitarian needs including emergency health services as well as other essential support to impacted communities.
Secretary of State Sarai also announced that Canada is providing more than $2.5 million in additional funding to support the humanitarian response in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti, bringing Canada's total humanitarian response to over $11 million in direct funding for Hurricane Melissa relief efforts.
As part of Canada's commitment to support Jamaica's sustainable recovery, Secretary of State Sarai also announced more than $6 million in funding for development assistance to support longer-term disaster recovery and preparedness efforts in Jamaica.
This funding will support partners, including Canadian partners, with established relationships and ongoing work in Jamaica, in the following areas:
- Strengthening climate resilience in the health sector while responding to the impacts of Hurricane Melissa; for example, by repairing facilities, replacing critical equipment and upgrading infrastructure for water, sanitation and hygiene services to better withstand future extreme weather events
- Strengthening the management of the ongoing hurricane response and future preparedness in areas such as emergency telecommunications, undertaking critical warehouse repairs and replenishing emergency warehouse supplies
- Fast-tracking food system recovery through support for the agricultural sector, such as by providing basic tools, equipment, and training to small-scale farmers and supporting investments in disaster risk planning and management
Today's announcement brings Canada's total support since the hurricane to over $17 million in humanitarian and development assistance. Canada will continue to stand with the people of the Caribbean as they recover and rebuild for a sustainable and prosperous future.
