More than 50 deaths have been attributed to Hurricane Melissa, including 30 from flooding and landslides in Haiti and 28 in Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa ranks among the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded since the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.
The full extent of the damage remains unclear due to widespread power outages, landslides, flash flooding, and severe infrastructure destruction. Now a Category 2 hurricane, it continues on a path toward Bermuda.
Humanitarian aid organizations are mobilizing to provide immediate relief and prepare for long-term recovery.
Below is a list of organizations providing assistance for those affected by Hurricane Melissa:
Relief Funding Organizations:
- The Center for Disaster Philanthropy is distributing donations to local groups tasked with addressing medium and long-term recovery needs in the region, like rebuilding homes and connecting survivors to case management and legal services.
- GlobalGiving has a relief fund for local, vetted organizations in the Caribbean. Funds will initially be disbursed to address immediate disaster response needs before pivoting to long-term needs.
- Direct Relief is shipping medical supplies and hurricane preparedness packs to the region in anticipation and in the aftermath of the storm. The group also has a Caribbean Resiliency Fund that works to build disaster-resilient infrastructure — like solar-powered health clinics — around the region.
- American Friends of Jamaica has a $1 million matching fund for relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. The New York-based organization has longstanding ties to those working on the ground in Jamaica.
- GiveDirectly is raising funds to deliver cash quickly and directly to families in hard-hit areas across Jamaica, so they can afford essentials like food, shelter, and diapers in the weeks ahead.
Nonprofit Organizations Supporting Relief and Recovery:
- Americares is responding to Hurricane Melissa, sending a team to the region to work alongside local partners and assess health needs.
- CARE is mobilizing to deliver relief in the form of first aid, hygiene supplies, emergency food rations, water and water treatment kits, and other shelter supplies to the surrounding areas of the Caribbean.
- Catholic Relief Services is committing $1M to support relief efforts in countries impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
- Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) has staff on the ground in Haiti and is already airlifting supplies like hygiene kits, food, generators, and tarps to Jamaica. Donations will also go toward long-term recovery efforts like removing debris and rebuilding homes.
- Footprint Project is delivering a shipment of 150 portable solar and battery power stations for rapid donation.
- Mercy Chefs is standing by with supplies and equipment, ready to bring hot meals, drinkable water, and comfort to those affected across Jamaica and Cuba.
- United Way is teaming up with partners to provide food, water, and shelter for those impacted by Hurricane Melissa across the Caribbean. Donations support immediate relief and long-term recovery.
- World Central Kitchen mobilized ahead of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica to work with local partners to begin serving meals as quickly as possible to families impacted by the storm.
- World Food Programme is providing emergency food rations to feed hundreds of thousands of people in Jamaica, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.
Donations to these organizations are tax-deductible.
