Hurricane Melissa claims three lives, with 6 injured in Haiti

Three people have died and six others were injured in Haiti as a result of Hurricane Melissa, the Directorate General of Civil Protection (DGPC) confirmed Friday.

In its Situation Report No. 2, the DGPC said two people were killed and one injured on Thursday in Fontamara, a neighborhood in the West Department, following a landslide. An elderly man in his 70s was also killed a day earlier in Marigot, Southeast Department, after being struck by a fallen tree.

Five additional injuries were reported on Wednesday in the Artibonite Department, where floodwaters inundated the commune of Ennery, destroying homes and damaging infrastructure. Civil Protection officials also reported widespread material damage, including the collapse of a bridge in Sainte-Suzanne, Northeast Department, and flooding on Rue Saint-Martin in Port-de-Paix, where several houses were destroyed or severely damaged.

Authorities continue to urge vigilance and solidarity, keeping five departments under orange alert. The Hydrometeorological Unit (UHM) of the Ministry of Agriculture has maintained the Southeast, South, Nippes, Grand’Anse, and West departments under an orange cyclone alert, issued on Wednesday.

The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (UNCERF) announced Thursday it is releasing $4 million to assist more than 100,000 Haitians at risk from Tropical Storm Melissa. The funding will be managed by the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“These funds are part of anticipatory action efforts that allow the humanitarian community in Haiti to prepare for the direct impacts of storms and hurricanes,” said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

UN agencies said they are prioritizing communities most at risk — particularly those in informal settlements, where flooding and poor sanitation could worsen the spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases.