Cash Relief for Hurricane Melissa Survivors in Jamaica
Nov. 3 update: First payments will be sent this week to families in Jamaica via Western Union. Give now and your donation will be delivered ASAP.
You can send funds directly to Jamaicans impacted by the devastating hurricane
On October 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica – the country’s first hurricane in over a decade and the first Category 5 to ever strike the island. It has been described as “the storm of the century” for Jamaica.
500,000 people were initially left without power, with thousands more displaced from their homes. Southwest Jamaica, the country’s breadbasket, has been devastated by flooding, and in St. Elizabeth, an estimated 90% of homes have been destroyed.
We are delivering $650 each to families in the hardest-hit areas. This emergency cash will help cover their needs for two months, such as:
- 🍛 Essentials like food, water, medicine, generators, and diapers
- 🏨 Shelter and hotel stays while evacuated
- 💳 Bills for their phone, healthcare, and utilities
Your donations will reach those in greatest need quickly and remotely
Receiving money – without strings attached – supports families’ short term survival and long term recovery. Cash aid is fast and fully remote, letting families meet essential needs quickly and reaching them via digital transfers that don’t tax fragile supply chains or clog transit routes.
GiveDirectly has previously sent emergency cash to survivors of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, LA wildfires, Kenya floods, and many other disasters.
This cash will help thousands of families meet their own urgent needs and rebuild their lives
Cash aid allows survivors in western Jamaica to meet their own needs rather than having others guess for them — which is why people impacted by a crisis say they prefer cash relief over donated goods.
Achieving our current fundraising goal will enable us to reach hundreds of families in greatest need. We have the capacity to deliver much more, so with more funds, we could expand to reach thousands of additional people.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to receive money?
We will use damage and poverty data to identify the highest-need communities in western Jamaica, and then enroll and pay impacted families. The exact process is still being determined and we’ll update here when confirmed.
What if we raise more or less than the fundraising goal?
Any excess funds will help us deliver cash to more impacted families. If for any reason we are unable to deliver all funds to Hurricane Melissa survivors, donations will be delivered to survivors of the next emergency.
How much will each family receive?
Each family will receive $650 via Western Union transfer. This amount is designed to cover the cost of common post-disaster recovery items and needs.
When will people receive my donation?
We’re currently identifying communities in greatest need and aim to complete outreach in the coming weeks. We will update this page with more details when confirmed. In our past responses, we’ve delivered cash 2-3 weeks after the disaster.
Where will my donation be delivered?
We are currently delivering donations to communities in Jamaica impacted by Hurricane Melissa. We are assessing the impact of the hurricane in Haiti and other Caribbean countries and may expand our response to include those places.
What is GiveDirectly?
We’re a nonprofit that lets you send money directly to the world’s poorest, no strings attached. In the last decade, we’ve delivered cash to over 1.6 million people across 15 countries and research the impacts it can have for families in need.
What if I’d like to make a major gift?
We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at info@givedirectly.org.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes, donations are tax-deductible in the United States. We accept all major credit and debit cards, PayPal, checks, wires, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and more.
If you’re giving outside the U.S., you can still give to this campaign but your gift may not be tax-deductible.
Reach out to us at info@givedirectly.org with any questions or for more information on ways to give.