The United States is providing ongoing disaster assistance to Caribbean nations following Hurricane Melissa. As of November 12, U.S. support includes both financial aid and the deployment of personnel and resources to affected areas.
Senior Official for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom Jeremy Lewin traveled to Jamaica to meet with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, members of the State Department Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from Fairfax County and Los Angeles County.
On November 10, the United States announced nearly $12.6 million in additional disaster assistance, bringing total U.S. aid for Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts to almost $37 million.
A DART team composed of State Department disaster response experts was deployed on October 29 to The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica. USAR teams from Fairfax County and Los Angeles County Fire Departments were also sent to Jamaica to assist with search and rescue operations as well as debris removal.
U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force-Bravo airlifted 530,000 pounds of relief supplies—including food, safe drinking water, and shelter materials—to communities in western Jamaica that were severely impacted by the hurricane.
From a State Department warehouse in Miami, Florida, 12,000 tarps, 12,000 shelter kits, and hygiene supplies for 12,000 families were delivered to Jamaica. In Haiti, nearly 3,000 plastic sheeting units and shelter kits prepositioned by the U.S. were distributed through the International Organization for Migration to people displaced by the storm.
The UN World Food Program provided food commodities to 12,700 people in Haiti with U.S. support. In The Bahamas, funding was given to The Bahamas Red Cross Society for shelter as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene needs.
In Cuba, funding was provided through Caritas so that those affected by Hurricane Melissa could receive assistance without interference from local authorities.
"The United States continues to stand by the people of Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and The Bahamas as they recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa."
