The United States has announced $24 million in emergency relief for Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and Cuba following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm that tore through the Caribbean last week. The hurricane, the most powerful to strike the region in recent years, left widespread destruction, cut off communities, and claimed at least 50 lives.
According to the U.S. State Department, $12 million has been allocated to Jamaica, $8.5 million to Haiti, $500,000 to the Bahamas, and $3 million to Cuba. The funds will support immediate humanitarian needs, including shelter, food, and emergency medical assistance. Disaster Assistance Response Teams have been deployed to coordinate recovery efforts and assess the full extent of the damage.
A senior State Department official noted that additional aid packages are expected soon, particularly for Jamaica and Haiti, as assessments continue. “Our teams are on the ground determining where help is needed most,” the official said.
In Cuba, U.S. assistance is being distributed through the Catholic Church after Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared a humanitarian need in the country. Despite tense relations and a continued economic embargo under the Trump administration, Washington emphasized its commitment to directly aiding the Cuban people. “Regardless of what the Cuban regime says, we care about the Cuban people,” a State Department representative stated, noting that the Cuban government has so far not obstructed aid distribution.
Hurricane Melissa marks the most severe natural disaster to hit the Caribbean since the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled earlier this year, shifting disaster response management to the State Department. The U.S. has also sent Urban Search and Rescue teams to Jamaica to aid in ongoing relief operations.