Prayers and Aid as Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba Recover After Hurricane Melissa
As-salamu alaykum - people across the northern Caribbean are working to recover after Hurricane Melissa, and many families are in urgent need of help and dua. In southeast Jamaica the sound of heavy machinery, chainsaws and machetes filled the air as government teams and neighbors cleared roads to reach communities that were directly hit by one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record. Many stood in shock, looking at homes missing roofs and belongings soaked by floodwaters.
“I don’t have a house now,” said Sylvester Guthrie from Lacovia, holding his bicycle - the only thing left of value. He told officials he has land elsewhere where he can rebuild but will need support. Relief flights have begun bringing water, food and other essentials to Jamaica after the main airport reopened. “The devastation is enormous,” said one minister. Thousands are staying in shelters across the island, and many areas remain without power. Some families are searching for shelter and trying to stay hopeful: “I am now homeless, but I have to be hopeful because I have life,” said Sheryl Smith, who lost her roof. Authorities have reported multiple fatalities in the hardest-hit southwest communities, and many roofs were torn off in coastal towns described as ground zero.
In Haiti, catastrophic flooding took a heavy toll, especially in the southern region. At least 25 people were reported killed and others missing, with entire families impacted. Local officials said many homes were damaged or destroyed and vulnerable people need emergency food and shelter. Thousands remain displaced and reliant on aid.
Cuba’s recovery has been slower in some areas, where heavy equipment and the military have been used to clear roads and rescue those trapped or threatened by landslides. More than 700,000 people were evacuated before the worst of the storm and have been returning home gradually. Neighbors swept streets, removed fallen trees and salvaged elevated furniture and appliances left to dry out. Provincial officials reported damage to roofs, power and communications lines, cut roads and losses to banana, cassava and coffee crops, though rains also helped replenish reservoirs after a drought in the east. Many communities still lack electricity and phone or internet service.
Melissa was an unusually strong storm when it hit Jamaica, tying records for intensity at landfall, and it later struck Cuba at a lower category. Warnings remained for parts of the Bahamas and Bermuda as the storm moved northeast.
Please keep the victims in your duas and consider supporting reputable relief efforts providing shelter, food, water and medical aid. Every small contribution and prayer can help families rebuild.
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