U.S. Officials Pledge Humanitarian Aid as Hurricane Melissa Devastates Caribbean Nations

Hurricane Melissa has caused widespread destruction in the Caribbean and in massive need of humanitarian aid. Dozens of deaths have been reported across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, with the extent of damages still unclear.

As chaos continues to unfold, government officials have announced that the United States is sending rescue and response teams, along with critical lifesaving supplies in order to alleviate the humanitarian crisis that Category 5 Melissa caused in the Caribbean.

The hurricane made landfall Oct. 28 in Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. With top winds of 185 mph, Melissa tied the strongest landfalling hurricane on record and became the most powerful storm to ever hit Jamaica, knocking out power in the majority of the island.

As reported by the Miami Herald, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the country a disaster area, with at least 27 confirmed deaths in the region related to the storm.

In a post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S. officials were in "close contact" with their counterparts in Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas, adding that the U.S. rescue and response teams are already on their way to the region to assist those in need.

"These teams are working with affected countries and local communities to determine what assistance is needed and with interagency, international, and U.S. military partners to coordinate emergency response efforts," the State Department said in a different statement.

According to a government spokesperson who spoke to the Miami Herald, the U.S. is prepared to provide aid to those affected by Hurricane Melissa.

"The State Department maintains warehouses around the world from which we can distribute lifesaving aid in the aftermath of natural disasters," the spokesperson said. "The department has pre-positioned emergency relief supplies in six warehouses that will allow for the distribution of emergency relief supplies to people affected by the storm."

The United Nations is also joining on the efforts and has deployed teams to the area, in addition of allocating $4 million for each Haiti and Cuba from its Central Emergency Response Fund, the outlet noted.

On Wednesday, while concluding a four-day trip in Asia, President Donald Trump pledged that the United States would provide aid to Caribbean nations hit by Hurricane Melissa on a "humanitarian basis."

"We're watching it closely, and we're prepared to move," Trump said, according to the Miami Herald. "It's doing tremendous damage as we speak."

Hurricane Melissa, with sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph), is forecast to move through the southeastern Bahamas Wednesday, bringing up to 7 feet (2 meters) of storm surge, before passing just west of Bermuda by Thursday, The Associated Press reported.