How to Help Those Impacted by Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, wreaked havoc on the Caribbean, soaking and lashing those in its path with torrential rain and catastrophic winds.

Melissa made landfall on Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, carrying maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, making it the strongest storm to hit the island nation in 174 years. While it has since weakened, Melissa has caused “extensive damage” and flooding—ripping through hospitals, churches, and homes.

Read More: Photos Show Devastation Caused by Hurricane Melissa Across the Caribbean

The storm then headed for Cuba, where hundreds of thousands were evacuated, and the Bahamas. Neighboring states Haiti and Dominican Republic also reeled from Melissa’s effects.

At least 25 people have died in Haiti, largely due to floods in a coastal town where a river burst its banks. And at least eight were reported dead in Jamaica, but officials said it was still too early to determine the extent of the damage, partly due to the affected infrastructure and widespread power outages.

The government of Jamaica immediately began recovery operations, part of which included a newly launched website to “coordinate relief, mobilize support, and manage recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa,” according to Prime Minister Andrew Holness. The Support Jamaica official disaster recovery portal accepts monetary donations, which it says will be used for “emergency relief, housing reconstruction, healthcare support, and economic recovery programs.”

Historically, experts have said that the best way to help from afar after natural disasters is through donating funds to empower organizations that are already logistically set up to provide relief efficiently. Several non-governmental organizations have also begun fundraising for Hurricane Melissa relief efforts. Here’s what to know about what they’re doing and where you can donate.

Airlink

Airlink, which has responded to disasters in the Caribbean since 2010—including last year’s Hurricane Beryl, said it was working with over 14 partners, including United and American Airlines, to facilitate the movement of critical aid in areas battered by Hurricane Melissa amid widespread airport closures. The D.C.-based group is accepting cash donations as well as donations of frequent flyer miles, which it says could speed up the deployment of aid workers to disaster-hit zones.

American Friends of Jamaica

The New York-based nonprofit American Friends of Jamaica has extended assistance to the island nation since 1982. Its board of directors announced a $1 million matching fund “to support critical relief and recovery efforts in Jamaica” following the destruction left by Melissa. 

Americares

Connecticut-based organization Americares, whose relief efforts focus on healthcare, said that it was “preparing to send a team to the region to work alongside local partners and assess health needs.” 

CARE

International anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization CARE said that it is “urgently mobilizing to deliver lifesaving relief in Jamaica and other areas in the Caribbean” following the destruction left by Hurricane Melissa, and donations made will be allocated for first aid, hygiene supplies, emergency food rations, water and water treatment kits, and other shelter supplies.

Catholic Relief Services

The international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the U.S. said that its staff in Haiti and local partners in Jamaica are securing warehouses and preparing shelter kits and clean water supplies for distribution. The group is seeking donations for its long-term response to Hurricane Melissa victims, to help in recovery and rebuilding their homes, businesses, and farms.

Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)

CORE, a Los Angeles-headquartered nonprofit, is accepting cash donations for its Melissa response. On its donation page, the group said that with longstanding programs in Haiti and “extensive experience” responding to storms in the Caribbean, it has activated emergency response teams across Haiti and Jamaica to meet victims’ urgent needs. 

CORE added that it has deployed air cargo ships of hygiene kits, tarps, and essential relief supplies to Jamaica with support from partner LIFT, and that it is ready to deploy resources in Haiti “as soon as conditions allow.” Among the ways the group says it will help are through cash assistance and providing resources to help families remove debris and rebuild homes.

DirectRelief

International humanitarian aid organization DirectRelief is accepting cash donations. 

In preparation for Melissa’s impact, DirectRelief said it committed $250,000 in emergency funding and has made available its entire inventory of medicines and medical supplies to support hurricane-impacted communities in Jamaica and other affected countries. It also dispatched on Monday medical aid, including 100 field medic packs and 250 hygiene kits, to Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, and some of its emergency response personnel are on standby in the region.

Footprint Project

The New Orleans-based solar energy nonprofit Footprint Project said Tuesday that it has prepared to ship more than 150 portable solar and battery power stations from Florida to Jamaica. The group also said that it was ready to deploy pre-positioned mobile microgrid equipment in the Caribbean, from both Puerto Rico and Barbados.

Footprint Project said it accepts cash donations that would help support the logistics of its operations, including equipment installation and maintenance. But it also accepts equipment donations like “turn-key” renewable power, water, and shelter technologies for rapid shipment. Those donations can be coordinated through give@footprintproject.org.

Global Empowerment Mission

Global Empowerment Mission, a U.S.-based nonprofit that has a history of responding to storms in the Caribbean, has a team based in Jamaica’s capital Kingston. It is seeking donations through the purchase of supplies in its Amazon Wishlist.

Good360

Virginia-based nonprofit Good360, which works to coordinate donations with vetted local partner nonprofits including for disaster recovery, is seeking donations to respond to Hurricane Melissa. “Our team is deeply committed to supporting affected communities during this challenging time,” said Good360 CEO Cinira Baldi. “We are working closely with our nonprofit partners and corporate donors to ensure that urgently needed goods are delivered to where they’re most needed.”

Mercy Chefs

A spokesperson for non-profit food relief organization Mercy Chefs said that they are also seeking donations to respond to the impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and Cuba. The spokesperson said Mercy Chefs’ team members are positioned to respond throughout the Caribbean and that they have a ship stationed in Puerto Rico with “tons of food and supplies to get to those in need” in Jamaica.

Project HOPE

International health and humanitarian aid organization Project HOPE has an Emergency Response Team geared to respond to Jamaica at the earliest opportunity “once the storm passes,” according to Arlan Fuller, Project HOPE’s Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response. In its call for donations, Project HOPE said it plans to address urgent health, water, sanitation, hygiene, and mental health needs in Jamaica’s most affected communities.

World Vision

Global humanitarian assistance organization World Vision said it has a presence in Haiti, with its teams in the country ready to support 4,000 households with food, clean water, hygiene kits, and shelter materials. It said it is also ready to supply those in Jamaica impacted by Melissa with flood buckets, generators, hygiene kits and tarps, and other emergency equipment.

World Central Kitchen

Food relief organization World Central Kitchen, which responds to crisis situations around the world, has mobilized in Jamaica to help serve fresh meals to families affected by Hurricane Melissa. It accepts donations to facilitate its operations.

World Food Programme

The U.N.’s World Food Programme, the world’s largest humanitarian organization, is seeking donations for its response to Hurricane Melissa.

The WFP said it was airlifting 2,000 emergency food kits from the eastern island of Barbados to Jamaica amid the island’s “uniquely challenging geography,” which is a mix of mountainous terrain and coastal communities.“When we have a whole country affected by disaster, there’s no staging area–no area that’s unaffected that you can respond from, so you need to be able to stand up your response from outside the country in certain cases,” said Brian Bogart, who leads WFP’s Caribbean office in Barbados.