Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal closes
At the end of October 2025, Hurricane Melissa – one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Caribbean – brought widespread devastation to Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and communities across the wider region. New Zealand Red Cross launched an emergency appeal, which raised more than $45,000 to support the response and recovery thanks to your generosity.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica on 28 October as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 280 km/h, making it the most severe storm to hit the island in known history. Then it moved east towards Cuba, where it struck twelve hours later.
Torrential rain, intense wind, flooding and landslides left many people without clean water or electricity. Homes and livelihoods were destroyed, roads were blocked, and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes and seek emergency shelter. The humanitarian impact was severe and will have long-term consequences for those affected.
In Jamaica, 45 people sadly lost their lives and 15 people were confirmed as missing. Around 30,000 households were displaced, and 120,000 buildings were damaged.
Cuba also experienced extensive destruction. More than 3.5 million people were impacted, and in the eastern region around 149,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. The hurricane also devasted agriculture, wiping out 158,000 hectares of crops and killing tens of thousands of cattle and livestock.
Red Cross Movement response
Red Cross teams have been on the ground delivering essential humanitarian assistance including shelter, food, clean water, medical care and vital emotional support for families coping with immense loss and trauma. In Jamaica, 160 tonnes of humanitarian aid from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) arrived within seven days of the hurricane. And in Cuba, where around one million people were in urgent need of support, the IFRC delivered 20 tonnes of aid for the Cuban Red Cross to distribute.
How your support helped
We launched our Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal shortly after the disaster to support the work of our Movement partners, the appeal closed on Friday 5 December 2025. Thanks to your kindness and compassion, over $45,000 was raised to help people whose lives have been impacted by the hurricane. These funds are contributing directly to the Movement’s ongoing response efforts. Thank you.
Related information
Our Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal has now closed.
If you would like to support our work around the world and here in Aotearoa New Zealand, you can donate to our Where the Need is Greatest fund.
Donations to this fund support all our humanitarian work and help us respond to disasters and crises, wherever the need is greatest.
Donate to where the need is greatest
If you would like to support people affected by Hurricane Melissa, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is still seeking donations to continue humanitarian support as communities in Jamaica and Cuba recover.