Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as the strongest storm on record to strike the island, with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour. The Category 5 storm destroyed homes, damaged more than 120 hospitals and health centers, and cut off roads to the hardest hit communities. In Haiti, Melissa brought massive flooding and landslides across the southern part of the country.
Americares responded within days and has not stopped since, delivering medicine, funding facility repairs, and supporting mental health services through a network of local partners across both countries.
AMERICARES RESPONSE:
Americares response has focused on restoring access to essential health care while addressing immediate and long-term recovery needs. By combining large-scale medical support with locally driven solutions, the response has prioritized continuity of care, disease prevention, and psychosocial recovery for both survivors and frontline health workers.
• Americares operated a mobile clinic for nearly two months, delivering 826 consultations, nearly 800 prescriptions, and 110 mental health interventions
• Delivered 19 tons of essential medicines and supplies (antibiotics, IV fluids, chronic disease meds, prenatal vitamins, hygiene kits)
• Awarded $100,000+ in flash grants and enabled rapid response to unmet needs: debris removal, shelter support, and hard-to-reach community health outreach
• Funded critical repairs to damaged hospitals and local health centers to restore services after roof loss, flooding, and inventory damage
• Expanded mental health support including assisting frontline health workers, delivering school-based programs, and scaling additional services across impacted areas
• Installed water tanks at schools and supported mosquito control to prevent disease
By donating to our disaster relief fund today, you can help Americares continue to deliver health and hope to families affected by Hurricane Melissa an other disasters around the world.
For over four decades, Americares has been urgently responding to hurricanes and other crises around the globe. As always, we are committed to providing emergency aid to those most impacted by disaster and supporting long-term recovery.
Your gift today will help us save lives in this time of crisis.
