WFP Boosts Aid as Hurricane Melissa Ravages Caribbean

As the full extent of Hurricane Melissa's destruction emerges, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is intensifying relief efforts in the hardest-hit areas to support local authorities. Almost 6 million people across Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti have been impacted by the storm.

WFP has begun emergency food distributions for the worst affected families and additional relief supplies are arriving in the coming days. WFP also supported millions of people through cash transfers and early warnings ahead of the storm, which helped protect lives and livelihoods. Below is an overview of WFP operations.

Jamaica:

• The parish of St. Elizabeth - long regarded as the country's breadbasket - has been particularly hard hit with homes, farms, and livelihoods destroyed. Many communities remain cut off and without power.
• WFP has started delivering food assistance in the worst affected areas. Some 1,500 people have already received kits containing rice, lentils, canned fish and meat, and vegetable oil.
• An initial 2,000 food kits were airlifted from Barbados, and more are planned for this week. Vessels loaded with further relief items are also en route.
• To support the broader humanitarian community, WFP has deployed warehouses and logistic equipment - forklifts, containers, and pallets - at strategic coastal and inland locations, including Black River. This will enable rapid distribution and protect supplies in flooded or landslide-affected areas.
• WFP plans to assist up to 200,000 people in Jamaica through a mix of in-kind food and cash transfers to meet urgent food needs, as requested by national authorities.

Cuba:

• Hurricane Melissa left behind widespread flooding, power outages and heavy damage, with crops lost and many buildings partially or fully destroyed.
• Ahead of the storm, WFP and the Cuban Government prepositioned enough supplies to support 275,000 people for up to 60 days. Following the hurricane, food distributions have already reached 181,000 people who were evacuated to shelters.
• WFP plans to assist 900,000 people who will require emergency food assistance for three months, with half of those need assistance for an additional three months.

Haiti:

• Homes and infrastructure have been washed away along the southern coast which was the most impacted by the hurricane.
• Anticipatory payments worth US$900,000 were provided to approximately 50,000 people, to protect their livelihoods ahead of the hurricane. Some 2.5 million people also received text messages with practical guidance on how to prepare for and stay safe during the storm.
• As families leave temporary shelters to return home, they are receiving a two-week food ration, followed by one month of cash assistance to help them purchase essentials where markets remain functional and to support stronger recovery.
• WFP has reached 12,700 people with emergency food distributions across grand southern regions and is scaling up to reach 190,000 people as part of the response.

Regional support and partnerships

• The WFP Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub in Barbados and the WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Panama are storing and transporting emergency supplies for populations affected by Hurricane Melissa.
• French and Dutch vessels in the Caribbean, with support from the European Union, are on the way to Jamaica with aid. The United States is also providing air transportation within Jamaica to reach the most isolated communities. The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) will support an airbridge operation to dispatch life-saving supplies - covering shelter, health, WASH, and logistics - from WFP's corporate stocks and humanitarian partners.
• WFP has launched an urgent appeal for US$74 million to deliver life-saving assistance to up to 1.1 million people across the impacted countries, and coordinate emergency logistics and telecommunications across impacted countries.
• Government donors have started pledging contributions against WFP's urgent funding appeal, private sector partners are supporting with connectivity and air transport, and individuals can donate to contribute to relief efforts.
• WFP worked with Caribbean governments ahead of the hurricane to provide early warnings, preposition stocks, and help people secure their livelihoods - all of which helped protect lives and will contribute to early recovery. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), ECHO, the United States, Canada and Ireland contributed to preparedness efforts, critical to mitigate the impact of climate-driven disasters.