Hurricane Melissa has caused severe flooding, destroyed infrastructure, and left hundreds of thousands without electricity. Dozens of deaths have been reported in Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba.
By Shula Rosen
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid to Jamaica following the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Caribbean.
Alongside the government effort, the Israeli relief organization IsraAID has launched an emergency response to assist affected communities.
The group’s team—made up of specialists in logistics, water and sanitation, and mental health support—is deploying to areas cut off by flooding and wind damage.
Personnel from IsraAID’s regional offices in Dominica and Colombia have joined the mission, which will focus first on restoring access to clean water, hygiene supplies, and sanitation services.
The organization has been active in Caribbean disaster zones for years, including after Hurricanes Maria, Dorian, Ian, and Beryl.
“The damage we’re seeing from Hurricane Melissa is devastating,” said Michal Bar, IsraAID’s senior director of emergency operations, in a press release. “Communities in southwest Jamaica were already struggling to recover from Hurricane Beryl last year, and now they’re facing destruction on a new scale.”
She added that while the full scope of the disaster remains unclear, the early assessment points to widespread loss and urgent humanitarian needs.
Melissa made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica’s Saint Elizabeth Parish as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of more than 185 mph. It caused severe flooding, destroyed infrastructure, and left hundreds of thousands without electricity. Dozens of deaths have been reported in Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba.
IsraAID’s deployment, coordinated with Israel’s humanitarian directive, will address both immediate and long-term recovery needs. Bar said the teams’ regional experience would be critical in helping communities regain stability and rebuild.
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