How acting early helped people prepare for Hurricane Melissa

When Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5, threatening Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti, OCHA and partners activated anticipatory action (AA) frameworks to mitigate its impact.

Using early forecasts, US$4 million from OCHA-managed UN Global Emergency Fund (CERF) was released within hours for Haiti, enabling life-saving evacuations, cash transfers, emergency shelters, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) kits for over 100,000 vulnerable people. Similar measures in Cuba supported 170,000 people, providing safe shelter, health supplies, food, and generators.

This proactive approach – triggered by pre-agreed thresholds – helped prevent loss of life and reduce suffering. AA reflects the Humanitarian Reset principles: locally led, globally supported, and community-rooted, demonstrating how early action fosters resilience and efficiency in disaster response.

As the Global Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action begins this week in Berlin (2–4 December), read on to find out what this approach achieved, underscoring the importance of coordination and innovation that shifts humanitarian response from reaction to anticipation: From forecast to frontline: how acting early helped people prepare for Hurricane Melissa | OCHA

Posted December 2025.

Pooled Fund impact stories.