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The best way to help Hurricane Melissa survivors may not be what you think
People in the Caribbean need help now — and for years to come.
Sara Herschander is a fellow for Future Perfect, Vox’s section on making the world a better place. She writes about global health, philanthropy, labor, and social movements.
Hurricane Melissa plowed through the Caribbean on Tuesday as an enormous Category 5 storm, knocking out power lines, flooding hospitals, and killing dozens of people in its path.
Already, the damage has been catastrophic. In Haiti, at least 23 people have died, the highest death toll so far, many from flash flooding after the storm caused a river to burst over its banks on the country’s southern coast. And in Jamaica, where the storm made landfall at peak strength on Tuesday, the damage could amount to $22 billion, Accuweather predicted, more than the country’s entire GDP. At least four people were killed in Jamaica as of 5 pm ET on Wednesday.
The hurricane, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic, is forecast to make landfall in the Bahamas tonight as a weakened but still perilous Category 2 storm.
These countries need our help now, and even more critically, in the years-long road to recovery ahead.
If you’re someone who wants to make the most impact with your money, consider donating beyond crisis funds that fly in foreign rescue teams or only focus on food and water in the disaster’s immediate aftermath. The unfortunate reality is that by the time a disaster like this strikes, it’s often too late for your money to really move the needle on search-and-rescue efforts on the ground.
Instead, we often make the most difference when we lock in for the long haul, supporting the work that happens after the hurricane dissipates or the news cycle ends. This is especially important now, with US cuts to disaster relief making it more difficult for countries to respond and, ultimately, recover when disaster strikes. When key infrastructural systems — health clinics, electricity, vital roads, or sewage systems — are destroyed, it could lead to more deaths months down the line.
Here are some organizations that will be supporting survivors, rebuilding communities, and strengthening infrastructure not only in the coming days, but in the weeks, months, and years ahead:
- The Center for Disaster Philanthropy is distributing donations to local groups tasked with addressing medium- and long-term recovery needs in the region, like rebuilding homes and connecting survivors to case management and legal services.
- GlobalGiving also has a relief fund for local, vetted organizations in the Caribbean. Funds will initially be disbursed to address the immediate disaster response before pivoting to long-term needs.
- Direct Relief has been shipping medical supplies and hurricane preparedness packs to the region in anticipation and in the aftermath of the storm. The group also has a Caribbean Resiliency Fund that works to build disaster-resilient infrastructure — like solar-powered health clinics — around the region.
- American Friends of Jamaica has a $1 million matching fund for relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. The New York-based organization has longstanding ties to those working on the ground in Jamaica.
- GiveDirectly is raising funds to deliver cash quickly and directly to families in hard-hit areas across Jamaica, so they can afford essentials like food, shelter, and diapers in the weeks ahead.
- Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) has staff on the ground in Haiti and has already begun airlifting supplies like hygiene kits, food, generators, and tarps to Jamaica. Your donation will also go toward long-term recovery efforts like removing debris and rebuilding homes.
This disaster is far from over. As the death toll in Haiti proves, even countries that aren’t in the direct eye of the storm could be devastated by the deluges and flooding that it causes.
And your donations can have a big impact on the recovery that comes next — and help keep these countries prepared for the next storm.
