Hurricane Melissa Update: Supplies Arrive and Distribution Underway

The Salvation Army is actively responding, providing emergency food, clean water, and shelter to displaced families. Teams are working alongside local authorities to deliver critical supplies and offer emotional and spiritual care to those impacted. Your support ensures we can continue meeting urgent needs and help communities rebuild.

Updates as of December 1, 2025

Updates as of November 20, 2025

The Salvation Army continues to respond to communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa, thanks to the incredible support of partners and donors. We are working with a variety of partners to ensure donations get to where they are most needed and  to meet urgent needs. To date, we have distributed more than $248,000 worth of in-kind donations, including:

• Greater Good Charities (GGC)
• 271 comfort kits
• 1,296 trash bag boxes
• 8,100 small shampoo bottles
• Red Lightning
• Starlink units, 17 batteries, 12 solar panels, and 3 generators
• Church of Latter-Day Saints, Food for the Poor, Rotary Club, Khalsa Aid
• 8 pallets of drinking water and food items that were packaged to deliver 1,200 food parcels
• Hot Meals
• The Salvation Army is partnering with World Central Kitchen (WCK) and Mercy Chefs (MC) to provide hot meals through Salvation Army corps locations in heavily impacted areas. WCK is currently feeding at four corps locations, and MC will begin service in up to four additional communities soon.

• Convoy of Hope

Three containers of relief supplies (54 pallets) are enroute from Convoy of Hope to Jamaica, with more to come.

• Global Medic
• Provided 50 cases of food and 50 cases of family care kits and joined a distribution.
• Operation Blessing
• Supplied several bottles of chlorine, which have already been distributed.

The Salvation Army is deeply grateful for these partnerships, which enable us to provide food, water, shelter, and hope to those most affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Updates as of November 14, 2025

In the past few days, more than $110,000 worth of meal kits and tarps have arrived in Jamaica and are ready to be distributed to families hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa. These supplies will help provide food security and temporary shelter for thousands who lost homes and livelihoods in the storm.

The Salvation Army is on the ground across Jamaica, working alongside local authorities and partners to deliver life-saving assistance. Our teams are prioritizing the most vulnerable communities in St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, and St. James, where damage has been catastrophic.

Current Situation in Jamaica

• Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28 as a Category 5 storm, bringing winds of 185 mph, torrential rain, and storm surges up to 13 feet.
• More than 1.5 million people have been affected. The hurricane resulted in widespread power outages and severe damage to homes, hospitals, and schools.
• The official death toll in Jamaica has risen to 45, with thousands displaced and over 122,000 dwellings needing repair or reconstruction.

The Salvation Army's Response

• Food & Shelter: Over 3,900 food parcels and 3,000 hygiene kits have been packed and distributed in the hardest-hit areas.
• Connectivity: Thanks to partners like Red Lightning, Starlink satellite units have been installed at Salvation Army hubs to restore internet access for isolated communities.
• Emotional & Spiritual Care: Our teams are providing counseling and support to families coping with loss and trauma.

You can help: Donate to the Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund and stand with families as they recover and rebuild.

See previous updates here .