Responding to Impact of Hurricane Melissa
This week, Hurricane Melissa made landfall across the Caribbean. As a Category 5 storm, it caused extensive destruction and loss of life throughout Haiti, The Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica.
UUSC partners in Haiti reported massive flooding and damage, collapsed houses, and several deaths with more people still missing. Members of many peasant worker organizations have had to flee their homes and take refuge in the mountains due to rain and flooding.
The storm’s aftermath will leave more instability for the region, especially for farmers. As one grassroots organization noted, “The peasant gardens and livestock have been washed away into the sea.”
Continued violence by armed gangs and the lack of government capacity for intervention compounds the danger and distress. People have set up makeshift displacement camps for shelter as they endure continued violence.
UUSC partners in Haiti have faced catastrophe before and are already nimbly responding. Local leaders are assessing damage, delivering food, and ensuring people have shelter and protection. Their deep community commitment and trust enable an agile response grounded in accountability.
UUSC partner Mouvement Paysan National Congrès Papay (MPNKP) told us: “We continue to receive photos showing the extent of the destruction caused by Melissa. Thank you for your words of solidarity.”
In addition to heartfelt messages of solidarity, you can support people in Haiti and our partners in the Caribbean experiencing crisis by donating to UUSC’s Emergency Response Fund today. We will be providing emergency funding to partners and taking further partner-led action in the coming weeks. Our solidarity is essential to help communities recover from this devastating storm.
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