- The U.S. deployed a disaster assistance response team for recovery in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.
- Canada and the United Kingdom have both sent millions of dollars to support countries impacted by the hurricane.
- Other organizations such as the United Cajun Navy have sent rescue teams and supplies to assist communities in Jamaica.
After Hurricane Melissa devastated multiple Caribbean nations this week, a variety of countries and organizations have been sending aid and assistance to help the impacted areas with disaster recovery.
The support being sent to the region includes large financial donations, supplies such as food and water, as well as search and rescue teams and other disaster response teams.
How the U.S. has responded to Hurricane Melissa
While on his Asia trip on Tuesday, President Donald Trump spoke to reporters about sending assistance to Jamaica.
“On a humanitarian basis, we have to,” he said, per CNN.
After Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica, Trump authorized immediate U.S. response to countries dealing with the devastating impacts of the storm. The Department of State has deployed a disaster assistance response team, including urban search-and-rescue teams, “to assess needs and provide search and recovery assistance,” according to a statement from the department.
The State Department is also working with United Nations agencies, NGOs and host governments to deliver food, medical supplies, water, hygiene kits, and search-and-rescue support to Jamaica.
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement, saying “the Trump administration stands with the brave Cuban people who continue to struggle to meet basic needs.”
As it has with other affected Caribbean countries, the State Department is issuing a declaration of humanitarian need for Cuba and has prepared to provide immediate humanitarian assistance directly and through local partners.
Rubio’s statement noted that U.S. law, which forbids nearly all commerce with the island, includes “exemptions and authorizations relating to private donations of food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods to Cuba, as well as disaster response.”
Cuba typically does not accept handouts from the U.S. government, but the country’s deputy minister of foreign affairs shared on social media that Cuba might be willing to receive U.S. government disaster assistance in the wake of the hurricane.
According to The New York Times, the State Department has also asked the U.S. military to assist with the Hurricane Melissa disaster relief efforts.
It is unclear what military assets could be involved, but the mission will likely include airlifting food, water and other supplies to remote areas in Jamaica that have been cut off from the rest of the island.
Jamaica, Haiti and the Bahamas have all formally requested aid and support from the U.S.
What other countries are sending to the Caribbean
According to CBC, the Canadian government announced on Thursday it will dedicate $7 million to humanitarian relief for Caribbean nations hit by Hurricane Melissa.
The minister for international development, Randeep Sarai, said $5 million will go to lifesaving help through emergency response agencies and health providers. The remaining $2 million will go to the United Nations World Food Program to support its distribution of food and other supplies in Jamaica.
The country is also prepared to send relief supplies from its emergency stockpile through the Red Cross, if that help is requested.
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom said it would deploy 2.5 million pounds ($3.3 million) in emergency humanitarian funding, per CNN. On Friday, the U.K. pledged another 5 million pounds ($6.5 million). The British government is also chartering a limited number of flights to help British nationals leave Jamaica.
The Chinese ambassador to Cuba shared a video on social media of a warehouse full of “family kits” that are being transported to help those impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
The premier of the Cayman Islands, André Ebanks, said his country had brought over essential supplies to Jamaica worth around $200,000, per The New York Times. His country has committed to sending a total of $1.2 million in resources and goods to Jamaica.
Jamaica’s government has launched a dedicated platform to mobilize support and coordinate relief and recovery efforts in times of crisis. Those looking to support people impacted by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica should visit https://supportjamaica.gov.jm.
Search-and-rescue teams from the U.S. to help in Jamaica
On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of the urban search and rescue team from the Los Angeles County Fire to provide assistance in Jamaica.
“Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is a specialized discipline that involves locating, extricating, and providing initial medical stabilization for victims trapped in confined spaces due to structural collapses, transportation accidents, or other disasters,” per a release from the governor’s office.
The team from California will be joining another similar group from Fairfax County, Virginia, to help the people in Jamaica. Both teams also include search and rescue canines and specialized equipment.
The United Cajun Navy also sends support
The United Cajun Navy, a nonprofit organization known for responding to natural disasters, has shared that it has people on the ground helping in Jamaica, according to WAFB9, a news station in Louisiana.
The organization, established in the Cajun region of Louisiana, is “equipped with boats, trucks, and a strong sense of community responsibility,” according to its website. “The United Cajun Navy specializes in life-saving rescue operations, humanitarian assistance, and logistical support in regions severely impacted by floods, hurricanes, and other catastrophic events.”
It has deployed food, water and rescue teams to help in the devastated areas. The nonprofit has also assembled disaster kits for those impacted by the storm.
Other groups providing support to the Caribbean
There are also a number of groups and organizations that are working to provide relief and aid to those in the Caribbean impacted by the hurricane.
According to The Weather Channel, a number of relief organizations in South Florida worked to gather and send supplies to the Caribbean ahead of the storm and are now gathering supplies to send in the aftermath.
An Atlanta-based nonprofit, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, has committed to giving $2.5 million in support to hurricane relief. The funds will be split between World Central Kitchen and Team Rubicon, per CNN.
Before the storm made landfall, World Central Kitchen had partnered with a restaurant in Kingston, Jamaica, to provide hot meals to families sheltering from the storm. The nonprofit will now continue its efforts to distribute food through its network of local partners, according to an update posted on X.
A reggae music festival was set to take place this week in New Orleans, but had to be postponed after Jamaican musicians couldn’t make it, according to The Weather Channel. The festival’s organizer hosted a Jamaica Benefit Dinner, with all of the proceeds going to relief efforts.
Hurricane Melissa’s death toll
In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, dozens of deaths have been reported across the Caribbean. On Thursday, officials in Haiti reported that at least 30 people were killed in the storm, and 20 more were missing, per USA Today.
There have been at least two deaths reported in the Dominican Republic.
As of late Thursday, no deaths had been reported in Cuba after the hurricane swept through the country.
Jamaican officials shared they had dedicated a helicopter to the recovery of bodies, according to USA Today. The country’s information minister, Dana Morris Dixon, said on Thursday that at least 19 people were killed in the storm.