Hurricane Melissa was a Category 5 storm—and one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean—when it hit Jamaica on Oct. 28 and a Category 4 when it moved on to Cuba. Melissa’s death toll is slowly ticking up as rescue crews work to reach rural and less accessible areas in the Caribbean. As of Nov. 1, there have been 28 fatalities in Jamaica and at least 30 in Haiti.
How the United States responds to the devastation that Hurricane Melissa wreaked last week across the Caribbean, particularly in Jamaica, is shaping up to be a key test of the Trump administration’s ability to still provide essential international disaster relief after this year’s controversial dismantlement of the country’s humanitarian response infrastructure.
How the United States responds to the devastation that Hurricane Melissa wreaked last week across the Caribbean, particularly in Jamaica, is shaping up to be a key test of the Trump administration’s ability to still provide essential international disaster relief after this year’s controversial dismantlement of the country’s humanitarian response infrastructure.
Hurricane Melissa was a Category 5 storm—and one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean—when it hit Jamaica on Oct.
Continue Reading on Foreign Policy
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.