IFRC: Up to 1.5 Million Jamaicans at Risk as Hurricane Melissa Nears

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has issued a stark warning about the potential scale of devastation from Hurricane Melissa, which is expected to have a “massive impact” on Jamaica and surrounding Caribbean nations.

According to Necephor Mghendi, the IFRC’s head of delegation for the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, as many as 1.5 million people in Jamaica alone could be affected by the storm — a figure he described as potentially “an underestimate.”

Speaking from Trinidad and Tobago during a press briefing in Geneva, Mghendi emphasized that the Red Cross has been working closely with national authorities to prepare for large-scale evacuations, emergency shelter support, and post-storm recovery. He noted that the organization’s priority is to safeguard vulnerable communities, particularly those in low-lying coastal areas and informal settlements most at risk of flooding and landslides.

Mghendi also highlighted the wider regional threat, warning that neighboring islands could face heavy rainfall, storm surges, and disruptions to essential services, including power and communications.

“This storm has the potential to affect not just infrastructure, but livelihoods,” he said, urging residents to heed official warnings and prepare emergency supplies.

Hurricane Melissa, currently classified as the strongest storm of the year, continues to move across the Caribbean with sustained winds exceeding 250 km/h, prompting governments in the region to issue evacuation orders and hurricane alerts.