Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Some 43 people have died in Haiti as a result of Hurricane Melissa, according to preliminary figures released by the authorities on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded to at least 76 in the Caribbean.

Melissa devastated entire regions of Jamaica and flooded Haiti and Cuba during its multi-day course through the Caribbean.

The hurricane was made more powerful and destructive by climate change caused by human activities, according to a study by Imperial College London.

In Washington, the US State Department announced that it had approved $24 million in emergency humanitarian aid for Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and Cuba.

The United States had dispatched several teams specializing in rescue and aid distribution to Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.

In Jamaica, the first country where the hurricane made landfall a week ago, the death toll stands at least 32. “We expect it to rise,” the government warned on Monday.

One death has also been reported in the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti.

Cuba, where Melissa made landfall after Jamaica, has reported no casualties.

In Haiti, Melissa has caused 43 deaths, 21 injuries and 13 people are still missing, according to a Civil Protection document.

The authorities have declared three days of national mourning, which began on Monday.

“Thousands of homes have been flooded and critical infrastructure (…) temporarily blocked by debris,” said the Civil Protection Agency, adding that the flooding had also damaged farmland.

“There are 11,952 flooded homes, 176 destroyed homes, and 4,257 homes damaged, either slightly or severely,” the authorities added.

The damage caused by Melissa adds to the serious difficulties facing Haiti, the poorest country in the Caribbean, which has been experiencing a major political, security, and humanitarian crisis for several years.

Humaniterre with AFP