Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update as of 21 November 2025

KEY FIGURES

• 108 emergency shelters remain active in Jamaica due to Hurricane Melissa
• 3.49M people will need food assistance in Haiti between Oct 2025 - May 2026
• 104K families were affected by the October floods in Mexico

CARIBBEAN: HURRICANE MELISSA

Three weeks after Hurricane Melissa, evolving secondary impacts continue to drive humanitarian needs across the Caribbean. In Jamaica, slow drainage and water-logged terrain are delaying families from re-entering homes. Rising groundwater in the western and south-central parishes is turning the situation from a sudden-onset disaster into a prolonged hydrological emergency, one that cannot be resolved by pumping and is likely to persist, extending displacement, delaying school reopening and increasing damage to agricultural infrastructure. A total of 108 emergency shelters remain active as authorities work to re-establish access and monitor inundated areas. In Cuba, a worsening public-health and energy crisis persists as suspected or confirmed arboviral infections rise 2.5 per cent in one week and fuel shortages trigger extended blackouts, straining essential services and limiting the government’s response capacity.

COLOMBIA: VIOLENCE

Armed harassment and clashes in El Charco, Nariño, continue to drive displacement and heighten protection risks for ethnic communities. On 16 November, confrontations between public security forces and a non-state armed group forced the displacement of around 400 people (90 households) from Afro-descendant and Eperara Siapidara Indigenous communities from four rural areas to the urban centre. The sustained presence and actions of armed groups are causing severe psychological distress, eroding community cohesion, and limiting access to essential goods, services, and livelihoods. Some families are making intermittent returns to protect belongings and properties, increasing protection risks with the possiblity of renewed fighting, the presence of anti-personnel mines, and specific threats to children, adolescents, and women in the area.

HAITI: HURRICANE MELISSA & INSECURITY

Persistent insecurity and the lingering impacts of Hurricane Melissa continue to drive rising humanitarian needs across Haiti. Armed attacks in the Tabarre 27 area of Bellevue, Tabarre municipality (West Department), on 13–14 November displaced 613 people (156 households), with all affected individuals taking refuge with host families and the majority (69 per cent) remaining within Tabarre. Simultaneously, food insecurity is deepening as violence and storm-related losses disrupt livelihoods and markets. The latest IPC report anticipates Emergency (IPC Phase 4) food insecurity outcomes in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Croix-des-Bouquets, as well as among internally displaced persons living in sites in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area (ZMPP). Losses to crops, livestock and infrastructure following Hurricane Melissa, compounded by inflation above 31 per cent, are expected to push 3.0-3.49 million people into food assistance needs through May 2026.

MEXICO: FLOODING

Just over a month after floods inundated Mexico’s Central and Gulf regions between 9 and 11 October, the country is shifting from emergency response to reconstruction. The floods affected 104,000 families, 7,831 businesses, 29,045 agricultural producers and 56,600 hectares of farmland across Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. As of 19 November, authorities report 84 deaths and 17 people still missing, with Veracruz and Puebla among the hardest-hit states. Preliminary assessments highlight urgent needs in WASH, health, child protection, education and livelihoods. A survey by Médicos del Mundo found that 97 per cent of surveyed households lost essential items, 93 per cent experienced partial flooding, 86 per cent reported structural damage and 55 per cent suffered agricultural losses. With a second disbursement of funding under the Natural Emergency Program now completed, the federal government has formally launched the reconstruction phase.