Communities in Haiti, particularly in the southern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, are working to recover after Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms to hit the region, devastated large swaths of the country in October 2025. Residents are contending with destroyed homes, lost livelihoods and widespread food insecurity as they try to restore normal life in the storm’s aftermath.
The Category 5 hurricane killed at least 43 people in Haiti and left vast areas buried under mud and debris, with agricultural communities once sustained by crops such as plantain, corn and beans especially hard hit. Many families have lost their incomes and means of subsistence, compounding pre-existing humanitarian challenges.
International aid efforts are under way. The World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed cash assistance vouchers to the most vulnerable, enabling them to buy food locally. Officials say this approach not only helps households meet urgent needs but also supports local markets and the wider community economy.
However, Haiti’s broader crisis including ongoing gang violence and displacement affecting nearly 1.5 million people continues to strain recovery, making reconstruction efforts slow and perilous. Humanitarian agencies warn that millions of Haitians remain at risk of food insecurity and require sustained international support to rebuild.
