Storm Melissaannounced which had been brewing for over a week and threatened to brush against Haiti, has intensified into a hurricane, the General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC) and members of the Haitian government officially announced at a press conference held this Saturday, October 25, 2025, at the COUN (National Emergency Operations Center). Depending on daily developments, red alert remains in effect for the departments of South and Grand'Anse, and orange alert for those of Nippes, West, Artibonite, and Northwest.while the alert level is lowered to yellow in the Southeast.
The Category 5 storm Melissa is expected to turn toward Cuba in the coming hours. During this change of course, the outer bands of the system will affect the western coasts of Haiti and the human and material risks can be very high.
The Cadre de Liaison Inter-Organisations Haiti (CLIO), concerned by the potential threat of this severe weather, calls for solidarity and the immediate mobilization of all the country's vital forces in general and all the actors involved in order to prepare an appropriate response in support of the Haitian authorities aimed at saving lives and minimizing damage. In anticipation, several CLIO members were able to do preventative work in several communities in southern Haiti to reduce the impacts of Melissa on people's lives, in collaboration with local authorities.
The Cadre de Liaison Inter-Organisations Haiti (CLIO), concerned by the potential threat of this severe weather, calls for solidarity and the immediate mobilization of all the country's vital forces in general and all the actors involved in order to prepare an appropriate response in support of the Haitian authorities aimed at saving lives and minimizing damage. In anticipation, several CLIO members were able to do preventative work in several communities in southern Haiti to reduce the impacts of Melissa on people's lives, in collaboration with local authorities.
CLIO primarily wants to raise awareness about the potential consequences of this severe weather in a context marked by armed gang violence, food insecurity, and environmental vulnerability. The hurricane is strengthening as it approaches Haiti. While parts of the Grand'Anse region are already saturated, rainfall could reach 700 mm. We should expect stronger impacts that will translate into episodes of flooding and landslides. This hurricane adds conditions favorable to the spread of the already ongoing cholera epidemic. In the West, flooding had already affected Cité Soleil in particular; the risks posed by Melissa could increase the number of people exposed.
The Fourth situation report issued by the DPC indicates 3 deaths and 16 injuries, 450 houses flooded and 10 others damaged.
Partners have already identified needs for emergency shelter, drinking water, sanitation, food assistance, support for agricultural recovery and protection measures for exposed households.
By highlighting the dangerous nature of this hurricane, CLIO is also raising awareness about the situation precarious displaced persons incamps and sites (formal and informal). Urgent action is needed to meet the needs, to protect people with specific needs, in particular children and pregnant women and breastfeeding, the elderly and people with disabilities.
CLIO reminds us that Haiti has a tragic past with hurricanes, the most recent being Matthew and Tropical Storm Jeanne, which have made a lot of dead and caused significant material losses. CLIO believes that only a well-coordinated and united response that is commensurate with the threat posed by Melissa can limit the impacts.
The CLIO reminds the entire Haitian population that individual measures are urgently needed. The CLIO urges everyone to exercise the utmost caution by staying informed of official weather reports from the authorities and by observing all safety instructions issued by the DGPC.
CLIO, a leading association with over 20 years of experience in coordinating NGOs in Haiti, takes this opportunity to remind all stakeholders that, in any emergency situation and due to the need for more sustainable Haitian resilience and real coherence in actions, It is essential to adopt an integrated, multi-sectoral and inclusive approach, encompassing humanitarian, recovery and development aspects.
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