Hurricane Melissa: Supporting Communities Across the Caribbean
Project HOPE has continued supporting communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, including standing up a field hospital, procuring essential supplies, supporting mental health needs, and distributing clean water. Responding to the emerging health and hygiene needs has become even more critical following the news of a deadly outbreak of leptospirosis in Jamaica.
In Jamaica, Project HOPE has established and is operating a field hospital outside the damaged Noel Holmes General Hospital in Lucea and treating patients, while monitoring for signs of leptospirosis. We are also distributing urgently needed relief items – including hygiene kits, dignity items, food, medical supplies, and potable water – to stranded communities, shelters, and health facilities, delivering aid by foot, over damaged roads, and via helicopter and water trucking. The team is also providing mental health and resiliency training and support for frontline responders.
Project HOPE teams are also providing surge support to a St. James parish Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) primary health care clinic, as well as a mobile medical unit to reach the hardest-hit areas where communities are unable to access care. This initiative will expand to four clinics in the coming weeks. Project HOPE is hiring local physicians and nurses, recruiting volunteers, and providing capacity building for MoHW staff to ensure lasting impact.
“Health care access is a vital component of recovery after any major disaster so making sure that we’re supporting the recovery of the local health system right now is critical,” said Chessa Latifi, Project HOPE’s Deputy Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response. “In the aftermath of a hurricane, when water systems are compromised and people are living in crowded or unsanitary conditions, the risk of infectious and waterborne illnesses is dangerously high, as we’re seeing with leptospirosis in Jamaica now. Supporting the primary health system ensures no one falls through the cracks.”
In Haiti, where Hurricane Melissa hit an already fragile humanitarian landscape, Project HOPE teams are coordinating with local responders to assess needs across the Tiburon Peninsula, where 14,000 people remain displaced and thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed. The team is also distributing hygiene and health supplies for communities facing heightened water and nutrition needs. In the Dominican Republic, where 625,000 people have experienced water supply interruptions, Project HOPE has been distributing hygiene kits to communities facing increased risk of waterborne illness.
Project HOPE has decades of experience responding to major storms, including Hurricanes Dorian, Ian, Idalia, Helene, and Milton. The organization maintains an active country office in the Dominican Republic and a longstanding history of work in Haiti, placing it in a strong position to meet urgent needs across the region.
Access photos from the Hurricane Melissa response here. Direct media inquiries to media@projecthope.org.
