Weeks after Hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean, nearly 477,000 children are experiencing significant disruptions to their schooling due to damaged or temporarily closed schools across Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica. With many schools damaged or closed, children have been forced to miss classes or study in temporary spaces that may not be equipped for proper learning. According to UNICEF’s most recent assessment, 900,000 children are in humanitarian need, including those experiencing learning loss.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in the southwestern part of Jamaica on October 28, and is the third strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. The Category-5 storm weakened into a Category-3 storm before hitting Cuba and continuing across the Caribbean and impacting Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Bahamas and Bermuda.
In Jamaica, Cuba and across the central Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa triggered flash floods in low-lying areas and landslides on higher terrain. Tidal surges caused tsunami-like flooding in low-lying coastal areas, threatening lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.