Recovery is underway, but many are still struggling—underscoring the need for stronger local preparedness before the next storm.
Atlanta, Georgia, April 28, 2026 – It has been six months since Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane, made landfall in Jamaica in late October 2025, impacting 1.5 million people, causing at least 45 deaths, and damages estimated at US$ 8.8 billion—approximately 41 percent of the country’s 2024 Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Though recovery has been moving forward, many families are still living in temporary shelters, have nutrient-poor diets, and are still struggling to get back on their feet.
Jonathan Arogeti, CARE’s Caribbean Humanitarian Response Lead, said:
“Hurricane Melissa left deep scars across Jamaica, with women and girls bearing the heaviest burden of recovery. Local organisations, especially women-led groups, have been on the frontlines of response and recovery, driving positive and lasting impacts despite significant challenges. This historic storm underscores the urgent need to invest in locally-led preparedness now, so communities are less vulnerable when the next storm strikes.”
Carrol Clemming, a single mother from rural Westmoreland, one of the parishes hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa, said she hid with her son and grandson inside a concrete bathroom and watched as her house literally blew away.
“I experienced other hurricanes, but not like this one. This was much, much stronger,” says Clemming. “The situation is still very bad, but it could have been worse. God has spared our lives.”
A Government of Jamaica assessment estimated that approximately 190,000 homes were damaged by Hurricane Melissa, with nearly 24,000 destroyed. Losing a home in the aftermath of disasters is especially harmful for women and girls who can easily become targets of sexual exploitation and abuse. Local women-led organisations are best placed to identify the immediate needs and implement the response and recovery process.
In Jamaica, “there is still massive displacement of women and children, and many struggle to find money for food, medicine and transport,” says Nadella Oya, Executive Chair of the Caribbean Gender Alliance, one of several CARE local partners that led the response in Jamaica, that focuses on promoting the wellbeing of women and girls.
“Disrupted communities and communication have left many people exposed to violence, exploitation, and abuse. Recovery efforts must prioritise protection and ensure that women and girls are safe, heard, and supported at every stage of the recovery process.”
Even though food security conditions have improved substantially over the last six months, a World Food Program report on Jamaica’s post-hurricane recovery indicates they remain worse than before the storm hit. Damages to infrastructure and agricultural land have disrupted the flow of goods and services, especially in the western and north-western parts of the island. The report also indicates that one third of households are not consuming enough fruits and dairy products on a weekly basis, reflecting sustained nutrient gaps, because of harvest losses and disrupted market systems.
“Seeing how people are living has impacted me greatly,” says Kimberly Wong, a data collector that has supported the Women's Resource and Outreach Centre, a CARE partner in Jamaica, in the aftermath of the hurricane. “The impact of the hurricane has been greatest on women farmers. They lost their crops, their livestock, and their livelihoods. They could no longer afford to send their children to school because they lost their income. So many are on their own. Relief must specifically address the needs of women and girls.”
Prior to landfall, the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers (JNRWP), distributed tarps, chargers, flashlights, and first-aid kits to families across the island with CARE’s support. Alongside cash vouchers to more than 4,100 people to buy emergency supplies, distributed through all CARE partners, one of the most effective interventions set up ahead of time, was an insurance program designed to provide rapid financial support after disasters. This program was especially beneficial for women farmers, highlighting the need to scale this type of approach in the future.
“The biggest change is dignity and choice,” says Tamisha Lee, President of the JNRWP.
“Some of our members received payouts up to JM$ 150,000 per impacted person (approximately US$ 950) within five days of the storm via the parametric insurance. We have moved from being passive recipients of aid to active managers of our own recovery.”
Though significant progress has been made, many families continue to struggle with the cumulative effects of the hurricane, which has exacerbated pre-existing economic and livelihood challenges. Local leaders say the gains made in rebuilding livelihoods don’t extend far enough.
With one month before the 2026 hurricane season starts on June 1st, the need to recover and adequately prepare for future weather-induced shocks feels urgent. “We need to move toward a system where every woman farmer in Jamaica is 'climate-proofed' not just through infrastructure, but also through financial inclusion,” underscores Lee.
Scaling solutions such as parametric insurance, targeted cash vouchers, and the pre‑positioning of emergency supplies is no longer optional, it is essential for protecting livelihoods and ensuring communities can withstand the next hurricane. Equally important for recovery is funding for women-led organisations and restoring a sense of stability, dignity, and hope through psychosocial and mental health support services, with a special focus on the needs of women and girls.
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ABOUT CARE IN JAMAICA
CARE began supporting communities in Jamaica in 2023, helping people recover from landslides and flooding. Its work to strengthen emergency response and long-term community resilience is in partnership with the Caribbean Humanitarian Partnership Platform, a coalition of lifesaving, locally led, and women-focused organisations. These include the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers (JNRWP), Women’s Resource & Outreach Centre, GirlsCARE, and WE-Change Jamaica. In 2024, CARE and JNRWP provided immediate relief to those impacted by Hurricane Beryl. In advance of Hurricane Melissa’s landfall, CARE and its local partners distributed supplies, including tarps, chargers, flashlights, and first-aid kits. In the days and weeks that followed, CARE delivered comprehensive, locally led assistance, prioritising women, girls, and the most vulnerable families.