PAHO sends emergency medical supplies to countries affected by Hurricane Melissa – PAHO/WHO
The Organization delivers more than 2.6 tons of supplies to Cuba and has an additional 5.5 tons ready for Jamaica as soon as the country’s airport reopens
Havana/Washington DC, October 29, 2025 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) delivered more than 2.6 tons of essential medical supplies to Cuban health authorities to support the response in areas affected by Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall early this morning in eastern Cuba as a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of up to 205 km/h (127 mph).
The shipment, dispatched from the PAHO Regional Strategic Reserve in Panama and which arrived in the country on October 28, includes nine emergency kits containing medications, enough medical and surgical supplies to care for 5,000 people for three months, as well as chlorine tablets to treat almost eight million liters of water, electrical equipment, medical backpacks, tents and water storage tanks, among other priority items.
The shipment was mobilized under the early action mechanism of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Supplies will be sent to the most affected areas of eastern Cuba once land communications are restored.
“These medical supplies will help maintain basic medical care, ensure access to drinking water, and reduce immediate health risks following the impact of Hurricane Melissa,” said Dr. Mario Cruz Peñate, PAHO/WHO Representative in Cuba. “Timely cooperation and prior preparation are essential to protect the health of the population in emergency situations like this,” he added.
From its Emergency Operations Center in Washington DC and its office in Havana, PAHO continues to coordinate with the Cuban Ministry of Public Health and Civil Defense the assessment of damage, the reorganization of services and epidemiological monitoring in the affected areas.
In parallel, the Organization is managing the emergency acquisition of additional electrical generators (10-16 KVA), mosquito nets and more chlorine tablets for a possible second shipment to Cuba, with the aim of strengthening the health response and preventing outbreaks of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and other arboviruses, as well as water-borne diseases, which carry a greater risk after major weather events.
PAHO prepares to send aid to Jamaica
PAHO has also activated its Emergency Operations Center in Barbados to coordinate the regional response to Hurricane Melissa. This center evaluates damage to health infrastructure in the affected countries, with the aim of supporting the reestablishment of essential health services and guaranteeing continuity of care for the most impacted communities.
Additionally, PAHO’s Regional Strategic Reserve in Panama is ready to send an additional 5.5 tons of humanitarian aid supplies as soon as the Jamaica airport reopens.
The shipment includes an inter-agency emergency health kit, containing life-saving medications and medical supplies, and a non-communicable disease kit, each sufficient for 10,000 people for three months, an emergency trauma and surgery kit for 50 patients, 50 medical backpacks, a hurricane response kit, field care tents, water storage tanks, 300 treated mosquito nets and equipment of personal protective equipment (PPE), including surgical gowns, gloves, N95 masks, and face shields.
PAHO will continue to monitor the situation in Cuba, Jamaica and the Caribbean in close collaboration with national governments, United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners to ensure an effective response focused on the recovery of the health system and the protection of the life and health of affected populations.
