The United States (US) announced the launch of a series of direct humanitarian shipments to Cuba following the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Melissa. The powerful storm struck the island and left thousands of families facing shortages of food, water, and basic household supplies.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba with heavy rains and strong winds that damaged homes, flooded communities, and disrupted electricity and water services across several provinces. The storm particularly affected Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma, and Guantánamo. Local authorities and humanitarian groups reported ongoing needs weeks after the hurricane passed.
US sends first humanitarian aid shipment to Cuba after hurricane Melissa
Against this backdrop, United States officials announced the first deliveries under a $3 million disaster assistance commitment approved by the Trump Administration. The aid marks the beginning of a broader humanitarian effort aimed at supporting recovery in the hardest-hit areas.
A US supported humanitarian flight is scheduled to depart from Florida carrying relief supplies, with a second charter flight set to follow on January 16. In addition, a commercial vessel is expected to deliver further assistance within the coming weeks. Together, these shipments will include food, hygiene and water treatment kits, and other essential items intended to help Cuban families stabilize daily life and begin rebuilding.
According to US officials, the humanitarian assistance is designed to reach the Cuban population directly. To that end, the deliveries are being coordinated in partnership with the Catholic Church in Cuba. They oversee local distribution to ensure transparency and prevent diversion of aid.
How many peaople will recieve this aid?
The support is expected to benefit approximately 6,000 families, or around 24,000 individuals, across the most affected provinces. Charter flights departing from Miami on January 14 and January 16 will arrive in Holguín and Santiago de Cuba, respectively. Each flight will transport more than 525 food kits and 650 hygiene and water treatment kits, reaching over 1,000 families per shipment. The remaining supplies will arrive by sea aboard a commercial vessel scheduled to dock in Santiago de Cuba in the coming weeks.
The aid packages include staple food items such as rice, beans, oil, and sugar to address immediate nutritional needs. Hygiene and water treatment kits contain purification tablets and storage containers to support access to safe drinking water. Additional assistance includes kitchen sets with pots and utensils, as well as household items such as sheets, blankets, solar lanterns, and other essentials to help families cope with outages and damaged living conditions.
U.S. officials emphasized that while Hurricane Melissa has passed, recovery in eastern Cuba continues, and humanitarian support remains critical for communities still dealing with the storm’s aftermath.
