Why to read this story:
- Discover who’s really funding the Caribbean’s recovery and how much they are giving
- Learn how Hurricane Melissa has upended people’s lives through on-the-ground stories
- Find out exactly how you can help and make an immediate impact
In the two weeks since Hurricane Melissa tore across the Caribbean, tens of millions of dollars in relief funding have poured in from governments, non-governmental organizations, travel companies, and individuals in a swift international response to the region’s costliest disaster on record. Some donors have stepped in with rapid, large-scale funding, while others are quietly delivering aid to help the region to recover.
For Leniecia Ricketts, a nanny in western Jamaica, whose roof vanished and belongings were swept away by 185-mph winds on 28 October, these funds represent the difference between despair and hope. She now sleeps on an open-air porch beside the soggy debris of what was once her home, hoping help will arrive.
The scale of the devastation
Ricketts is one of 1.6 million people across Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas living amid the wreckage left by what is the most powerful storm Jamaica has ever recorded. The Category 5 hurricane flattened homes, schools, and hospitals, crippled power grids, and left vast areas uninhabitable.
At least 75 people have died. Jamaica alone faces an almost unimaginable US$7.7 billion in losses, making Melissa the costliest disaster in its history.
The timing could not be worse. The disaster hit while the Caribbean was still recovering from Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 storm that devastated the same region in July 2024.
Who is stepping up?
These are the top five donors who are so far shaping the relief and rebuilding efforts.
United States government
Monetary aid: Nearly US$37 million as of November 12.
Form of aid: Funding for emergency shelter kits, child protection, debris clearing, hygiene supplies, water, food commodities, and medical support. Washington has also deployed Disaster Assistance Response Teams and Urban Search and Rescue units to help with lifesaving operations.
Government of Canada
Monetary aid: Approximately US$11 million. An additional US$6 for disaster preparedness and recovery for Jamaica.
Form of aid: Humanitarian assistance for emergency food and health services, protection services, and recovery and reconstruction aid through trusted partners such as the Canadian Red Cross and World Food Programme.
United Kingdom government
Monetary aid: US$9.8 million in total, comprising a US$6.5 million top-up to an earlier US$3.3 million in emergency humanitarian funding.
Form of aid: Delivered through the British Red Cross and local partners, the support includes emergency shelter kits, sanitation products, and solar-powered lanterns. The UK has also deployed experts from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to assist with recovery coordination.
European Union
Monetary aid: About US$6 million.
Form of aid: Emergency shelters, clean water, energy support, medical teams, and sanitation products. The EU is also channeling funds through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency for coordinated response operations.
Cayman Islands Government
Monetary aid: US$1.2 million in emergency relief funding.
Form of aid: Airdrops delivering food, mattresses, clean water, generators, tarpaulin, and medical supplies to Jamaica.
Beyond the aid from the big donors, relief for Jamaica has been boosted by the cruise and holiday industry, diaspora communities, and cultural figures. The Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation and American Airlines have raised over US$2.5 million, while artists like The Weeknd have contributed US$350,000.
How can you help?
Hundreds of thousands still need urgent support. Here are eight vetted organizations that are actively delivering aid on the ground:
Catholic Relief Services is operating in Haiti and Jamaica, distributing shelter kits, clean water, and emergency supplies.
Airlink is working with over 14 airline partners to transport vital supplies to the regions affected despite airport closures.
World Central Kitchen is mobilizing kitchen operations in Jamaica and serving fresh meals to families in the affected areas.
The UN’s World Food Program has launched a US$74 million appeal to help up to 1.1 million people across Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti with food kits, emergency supplies, and cash transfers for the affected families.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have launched a US$18 million emergency appeal for Cuba, providing emergency shelter, food, safe water, hygiene kits, and supporting long-term recovery efforts through local Red Cross societies.
GiveDirectly is delivering US$650 cash payments directly to families in the hardest-hit communities of St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica via Western Union, allowing recipients to purchase exactly what they need most urgently.
Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), with permanent operations in Jamaica and over 1 million pounds of aid already deployed, GEM is coordinating large-scale humanitarian operations with established local partnerships across the Caribbean.
Direct Relief, one of the world’s largest humanitarian medical aid organizations, has mobilized emergency shipments of essential medicines, hygiene supplies, and protective equipment to overwhelmed hospitals and clinics across Jamaica and Haiti.
The Caribbean has a long road to recovery ahead. Your support can help to rebuild homes, restore livelihoods, and strengthen communities against storms in the future.
