The European Union (EU) announced this Wednesday the release of 21.5 million euros in humanitarian aid to address emergencies in the Caribbean and Latin America, including serious damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba.
Of that figure, five million euros will be allocated specifically to the emergency response in the three Caribbean countries, where the devastation has left thousands of displaced people and severely damaged homes and infrastructure.
The European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, pointed out that there are “millions of people affected and thousands of displaced people in Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica.”
He confirmed that part of the funds will be channeled to the sending drinking water, temporary shelters, sanitation items and protective equipment.
Entire communities shattered by Melissa: homes, hospitals & schools hit hard.
Millions affected, thousands displaced.
On top of the aid channeled via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the EU is releasing €5 million for humanitarian partners to deliver aid in , & . pic.twitter.com/TgjFU3hkGD
— Hadja Lahbib (@hadjalahbib) November 1, 2025
In addition, the EU is preparing humanitarian flights and airlifts to transport emergency supplies through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, through which several Member States have already sent materials.
France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany are providing shelters, water and sanitation systems, energy support and technical equipment, while Spain will deploy a field hospital with a specialized medical team.
The other 16.5 million euros of the European package will be distributed between actions to respond to the Venezuelan crisis and the violence in Haiti.
The EU and the response to the damage from Hurricane Melissa in Cuba
The EU stressed that the immediate focus is on mitigating the effects of the Hurricane Melissa, “which has tested the resilience of entire communities in the Caribbean.”
This assistance is part of a broader humanitarian strategy: in 2025, the EU has already allocated 149 million euros to Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of strengthening cooperation in the face of natural and humanitarian crises.
“The partnership between Europe and Latin America is based on the shared responsibility to protect the most vulnerable and respond together to crises that know no borders,” said the European Commission when presenting the aid package, on the eve of the next EU-CELAC Summit.
