Standing With Communities After Hurricane Melissa: REACT’s Response in Jamaica

When Hurricane Melissa impacted Jamaica, widespread flooding, infrastructure damage and service disruption affected communities across several western parishes, including St Elizabeth, St James, Trelawny, Hanover and Westmoreland.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, REACT deployed to support the humanitarian response, working alongside national authorities and international partners to help ensure essential assistance reached affected communities safely and efficiently.

“When access is disrupted, delays quickly turn into real hardship for families. Our role is to help remove those barriers so support can reach people when it matters most,”  REACT Responder.

Severe flooding, damaged roads and power outages left some communities temporarily isolated. In locations including Cambridge, Whitehouse, Black River, Junction and Montego Bay, families faced delays in accessing food, clean water and basic shelter materials at a time when household resources were already stretched.

REACT teams focused on strengthening the logistics systems needed to support last-mile delivery. By supporting warehouse operations, coordinating air and ground movements, and establishing forward distribution points, responders helped reduce delays and ensure supplies could move safely into affected areas. This meant households were able to access food, drinking water, hygiene items and shelter materials sooner, helping stabilise daily life in the days immediately following the storm.

Alongside logistics support, REACT carried out assessments and community reconnaissance to better understand evolving needs on the ground. Information gathered by teams was shared with coordination centres to help ensure assistance reached not only larger population centres, but also smaller and more remote communities that are often slower to receive support after major storms.

By working within the wider humanitarian coordination system and alongside local partners, REACT contributed to an impactful response that prioritised access, reliability and equity. 

As communities continue to rebuild after yet another devastating storm, REACT is strengthening partnerships across the Caribbean to ensure future disasters are met with faster responses and greater reach to those most in need.