Hurricane Melissa affected Cuba, Haiti, the Bahamas, Bermudas, and the Dominican Republic, causing severe impacts in Jamaica. While Jamaica is the most affected country, with major damage to health infrastructure and disruptions to essential health services, Cuba and Haiti are also facing the compounded impact of the hurricane on already strained health systems amid ongoing socioeconomic challenges.
PAHO is collaborating with Ministries of Health and partners in the affected countries to support damage and needs assessments, provide immediate humanitarian assistance, and strengthen the health response to mitigate the impact on the population.
For more information, please refer to PAHO’s situation reports.
There is a heightened risk of transmission of respiratory, vector-borne, food-borne and water-borne diseases due to the impacts on running water, pooling of water, lack of electricity, displacement of persons, and disruptions to health interventions and service provision.
Jamaica: Extensive damage to hospitals (11 hospitals, including 5 major hospitals severely damaged) and health centers, with power outages, and impacts to water systems affecting emergency services, inpatient care, surgical capacity, and imaging and laboratory services.
Haiti: Damage to roads limits the delivery of humanitarian services to shelters and communities and impacted water systems heighten the risk of waterborne disease.
Cuba: Extensive healthcare facilities damaged. Widespread destruction, flooding, and disruption to essential services was reported, with 730,000 people evacuated and 120,000 remaining in shelters. Severe disruption to electricity, water, and telecommunications has been reported.
Technical Support: Deploying specialists in health services, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and structural engineering for rapid post-disaster infrastructure assessments, and coordination.
Medical Supplies & Logistics: Prepositioning and shipment of priority medical and humanitarian relief supplies, including medicines, surgical materials, electric generators, and water purification tablets.
Surveillance: Supporting disease surveillance with emphasis on waterborne illness prevention and continuity of essential services.
Resource mobilization and interagency coordination: PAHO is working in close coordination with humanitarian partners, including CDEMA, CARPHA, OCHA, UNICEF, and WFP, to harmonize preparedness efforts and resource mobilization in affected countries. These efforts are also being supported through the anticipatory action framework of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
View detailed information in the latest Regional Situation Report.
Jamaica:
- Over 5.5 tons of essential supplies dispatched.
- 2 Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) deployed.
- CERF allocated US$4 million.
Haiti:
- Nearly two tons of medical supplies.
- Rapid assessments at displacement sites.
- Dissemination of cholera prevention messages.
Cuba:
- Delivered 2.6 tons of priority supplies delivered.
Funding requirement to support urgent health priorities for the first six months of the response is estimated at US$ 14.2 million.
Immediate donor support is critical to sustain lifesaving health operations and prevent outbreaks.
- Restore health services.
- Strengthen disease surveillance.
- Ensure water and sanitation.
- Coordinate aid and information.
