Over 700,000 children affected after Hurricane Melissa slams the Caribbean

PANAMA CITY, 30 October 2025 - Several days of torrential rains, storm surges and catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Melissa have impacted the lives of more than 700,000 children across the Caribbean, according to UNICEF estimates.

The strong storm that directly hit Jamaica and Cuba and affected the Caribbean islands of Haiti and the Dominican Republic has left a heavy toll of displaced children and families. Infrastructure has been left broken, crops destroyed, and essential services such as health and education have been disrupted.

"In the wake of relentless floods across the Caribbean, hundreds of thousands of children have seen their lives upended suddenly," said Roberto Benes Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Children urgently need food, safe drinking water and sanitation, access to health and nutrition services and a path back to education."

The distribution of prepositioned essential supplies for children has already begun while needs assessments and response planning with partners continue. However, many of the hardest-hit communities are extremely difficult to reach due to damaged infrastructure and ongoing flooding. Families are trapped in submerged neighbourhoods without power or remained in shelters, and access to clean water and sanitation is critically compromised.

In Jamaica, where Melissa made landfall as a category 5 hurricane, UNICEF has initially allocated US$1 million to support immediate emergency response. The funding will help deliver urgent assistance to children and families affected by the widespread devastation. UNICEF is supporting the government to reach more than 284,000 children to address urgent nutrition needs, access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene including mental health support.

In Cuba, UNICEF is working to ensure that every child has access to essential services, prioritizing safe water supplies, sanitation and hygiene conditions in communities and educational and health institutions, and the return to school in safe spaces. Children will benefit from supplies, including 1,300 hygiene kits, 213 recreation kits, 80 school supply kits, 209 early childhood kits, 1,900 roofing sheets, 5,000 m² of waterproof tarpaulins and two portable water purification plants.

In Haiti, the tropical storm claimed 20 lives, including 10 children, in the country's southwest region. UNICEF is deploying 2,900 hygiene kits in Haiti and emergency health kits to meet the needs of 20,000 people and ensure treatment for 400 cases of acute watery diarrhoea. In addition, UNICEF provided cash to 7,500 households at risk in the south of Haiti to mitigate the impact of the hurricane, and almost 500 U-Reporters have been mobilized across the Grand South region with over 137,000 awareness messages sent via SMS and WhatsApp, reinforcing community mobilization and preparedness efforts ahead of and during the storm.

In the Dominican Republic, Hurricane Melissa caused life-threatening flooding and landslides leaving over 60,000 affected. UNICEF is delivering 750 hygiene kits and ensuring appropriate sanitation and hygiene conditions for children in the most affected communities. Support is being provided to the Government to ensure that health and nutrition services reach more than 20,000 children, women and caregivers.

UNICEF is supporting national authorities and partners in the affected countries to identify and quickly address the most urgent needs. To sustain the response, UNICEF is appealing for US$46.5 million to provide life-saving first interventions to over 380,000 children and their families.

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