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The Canadian Red Cross Hurricane Melissa relief mission is now underway. Emergency supplies have reached Jamaica after the catastrophic Category 5 storm earlier this week.
Hurricane Melissa Hits Hard
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwest Jamaica on Tuesday with devastating winds reaching 295 kilometres per hour. The powerful storm caused widespread destruction, killing at least 19 people in Jamaica and 31 in nearby Haiti, according to local officials.
The hurricane, one of the strongest to hit the region in years, tore through homes, schools, and infrastructure, leaving thousands displaced. In response, the Canadian Red Cross mobilized its disaster relief network within hours.
Emergency Aid from Canada
On Friday, more than 18,000 essential relief items departed from a Red Cross warehouse in Mississauga, Ontario, bound for Jamaica. Local Red Cross teams are now distributing the aid to affected communities. The shipment includes shelter kits, blankets, menstrual hygiene products, solar lamps, and mosquito nets — all vital for families who lost everything in the storm.
Nazira Lacayo, director of the Canadian Red Cross, said the supplies were requested directly by Jamaican authorities. “Many people fled with only the clothes on their backs,” she said. “These items will help them survive the next few weeks until they can rebuild their lives.”
Recovery Efforts Underway
The Canadian Red Cross Hurricane Melissa operation is still underway. Teams are assessing long-term needs like clean water, health care, and temporary housing. The organization emphasized that this first delivery marks only the beginning of its relief efforts. It forms part of a broader recovery plan with the Jamaican Red Cross and local partners.
Melissa has since weakened to a post-tropical storm as it moved along the East Coast of the United States before drifting further into the Atlantic Ocean.
A Call for Global Solidarity
Canadian officials encouraged continued public donations to support relief efforts across the Caribbean. “This disaster reminds us how critical preparedness and rapid response are,” Lacayo added.
For updates on relief efforts, visit PhoenixQ News.
