Currently a Category 4 storm and moving slowly across the Caribbean Sea, Melissa is expected to strengthen to Category 5, with sustained winds of at least 157 mph (about 252 kmh).

Countries in the region, including Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, are expected to experience several days of intense weather, with fears infrastructure could be overwhelmed and essential services disrupted.

“All hurricane preparedness efforts are essential to mitigate damage and loss of life in the most vulnerable communities.especially in regions like the Caribbean. Small islands still face increased vulnerability to extreme weather events,” said Roberto Benes, director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“UNICEF helps strengthen national capacities to anticipate and respond to climate-related emergencies and provide essential services to children. This is fundamental to protecting those who need it most.»

Humanitarian preparedness and response

United Nations agencies and their partners have prepositioned rescue suppliesincluding hygiene materials, water purifiers, medical kits and cash transfers to support vulnerable families.

In Haiti, 450 tonnes of food were pre-positioned and cash transfers were provided to 9,500 households in the south to mitigate the impact of the storm. Around 3,400 hygiene kits, non-food items and shelter for 44,000 households as well as medical kits for 11,000 people have also been positioned.

In Jamaica, the Red Cross and local authorities mobilized early, preparing emergency shelters and stockpiling relief items for some 165,000 people in high-risk parishes, including Saint Elizabeth, Clarendon, Saint Catherine, Kingston, Saint Thomas and Portland.

Communities prepare for impact

Communities are already experiencing heavy rain and gusty winds, and forecasters warn that flooding could exceed that caused by Hurricane Beryl 16 months ago, which caused significant financial and infrastructural damage.

Flooding is expected to be severe in low-lying, coastal and informal settlements, with heavy rain likely to trigger landslides in mountainous areas. Ports, airports and key infrastructure could also be disrupted, complicating emergency responses.

Deaths and injuries were also reported. In Haiti, three people were killed and one seriously injured in a landslide in the western part of the capital Port-au-Prince. One death was also reported in the Dominican Republic.

Growing risks for the Caribbean

Over the past decade, approximately 11 million people, including nearly four million children, have been directly affected by disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean each year, according to UNICEF.

As the storm approaches, national authorities are urging communities to follow safety guidelines, evacuate vulnerable areas and seek shelter.

UN agencies continue to coordinate with governments and partners, with a focus on protecting children and the most vulnerable populations.

Tom Fletcher, the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, said he was “deeply alarmed” by reports of civilian casualties and forced displacement as heavy fighting engulfs the city.

“As fighters push deeper into the city and escape routes are cut off, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified – bombed, starving and without access to food, health care or safety.” Mr Fletcher said in a statement on Sunday.

He called for “an immediate ceasefire in El Fasher, throughout Darfur and throughout Sudan,” stressing that civilians must be able to move around safely and humanitarian workers must be protected.

“Safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access must be allowed to reach all civilians in need,” he said. “We have vital supplies, but the intensification of attacks has made it impossible to deliver aid. Local aid workers continue to save lives under fire.»

City under siege

El Fasher, the last major town in Darfur still under government control, has been under siege for more than a year.

According to media reports, the RSF – a paramilitary group waging a brutal war against its former allies, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) – claimed to have taken control of the town after seizing the headquarters of the army’s Sixth Division.

The Sudanese army has not yet commented, but the loss of El Fasher would mark a major setback for government forces and a potential turning point in the situation. civil war which has ravaged the country since April 2023.

The conflict has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing more than 11.7 million people, 4.2 million of whom have fled as refugees to neighboring countries, according to UN figures.

Numerous civilian casualties

United Nations agencies have reported large numbers of civilian casualties and repeated attacks on medical facilities in the region in recent weeks.

At least 20 people were killed in strikes on a mosque and the Saudi hospital – the city’s last functioning medical facility – earlier this month. This follows nearly 100 civilian deaths in September.

Hold perpetrators accountable

Mr Fletcher condemned the continued targeting of civilians, hospitals and humanitarian operations, urging all parties to respect international law.

“Those responsible for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law must be held accountable,” he said

He also reiterated the obligations set out in Security Council resolution 2736 (2024), which demands an end to the siege of El Fasherprotection of civilians and free humanitarian access throughout Sudan.

Indigenous chef and activist Tainá Marajoara will serve dishes rooted in ancestral Amazonian traditions, showcasing the biodiversity and spirituality of Brazil’s indigenous peoples.

Between rounds of negotiations, delegates will be treated to flavors such as maniçoba, açaí and pirarucu, all made with more than 10 tonnes of agroecological ingredients sourced from fair and sustainable food systems.

A taste of ancient wisdom

“Our kitchen will feature canhapira, an indigenous Marajoara dish that is still part of the local cuisine today,” Ms. Marajoara explained.

The dish comes from the Marajoara people, an indigenous group native to the island of Marajó, a vast river island where the Amazon meets the Atlantic.

“There will be a lot of açaí. We managed to get its inclusion despite previous controversy.

“We will also serve maniçoba, a dish made from cassava leaves cooked for seven days with pork, as well as tucupi, jambu, tacacá and the Amazon’s iconic fish, pirarucu. We plan to buy at least two tonnes of these alone.”

Tainá is the founder of Iacitatá Food Culture Bridgethe cultural and culinary collective selected to oversee the COP30 kitchen, which will serve all attendees – from presidents to porters.

Meal of peace

More than just a meal, the ancestral cook considers this culinary effort as an affirmation. “We want to show that it is possible to live in peace. We must live in peace,” she said.

“Throughout COP30, we are building a space of ancestral diplomacy, making clear that there is an urgent need to recognize the connection between indigenous and local communities and food sovereignty.

“As long as ancestral lands are violated and violence spreads across forests, rivers and fields, our people and our culture will be killed. »

Speaking from Rome, where she was attending the World Food Forum at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Ms. Marajoara stressed that the COP30 cuisine will embody the values ​​of sustainability, justice and respect for life.

Rooted in climate justice

For the chef, indigenous food systems are more than subsistence, they are a living form of environmental stewardship and spiritual connection.

“This knowledge has been invisible for too long,” she said. “Running the COP30 kitchens is an act of cultural and ancestral diplomacy. »

She hopes this initiative will become a model for future international events. “This will be the first COP to feature community cuisine based on family farming. This proves that it can be done, and it should not stop there. May COP30 become a historic milestone, inspiring similar initiatives across the world.”

Food and storage

Ms. Marajoara stressed that food sovereignty and environmental conservation are inseparable.

“The world is falling apart,” she warned. “The time is no longer for endless negotiations. Protecting the territories of indigenous and local communities is a concrete and effective way to safeguard the planet’s climate.”

In the heart of Sudan’s White Nile State, south of the country’s capital Khartoum, Kosti Maternity Hospital treats thousands of deliveries a year, but the ongoing war, the destruction of regional infrastructure and the displacement of millions of people, including many women, have strained its services.

An evolving healthcare landscape

Midwife Fatma Aldoma has been a mainstay of the Kosti maternity ward since 1974 and has recently seen a flood of patients affected by the country’s insecurity.

Many of her clients have been displaced by the war, and Ms. Aldoma has also seen patients suffer the economic consequences of the conflict.

“Some women come without money. We pay out of our own pockets to help them cover the costs of childbirth,” revealed Ms. Aldoma.

Her wish is that the hospital receive more support with supplies and resources to help women get tested and receive treatment.

The care Ms. Aldoma provides makes a huge difference.

“I am happy with the services provided here and the care given by the midwives,” said Faj, 25, a mother of five from Tawila in the troubled Darfur region in the west of the country.

All of her children were born healthy at the Kosti maternity ward, including one with serious complications. “My biggest problem was the bleeding, but thanks to the medical care at the hospital, they helped me.”

Strained systems, urgent needs

The UN estimates that 11.7 million people have been displaced due to the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, and more than four million have fled to neighboring countries.

Tens of thousands of people are believed to have died. Hundreds of thousands of people face starvation.

Before this new emergency, Sudan was already hosting large populations of displaced people who were providing them with water, food, shelter, health care and basic necessities.

Increased demand for services due to the influx of families fleeing conflict, persistent power outages, particularly during critical surgeries like cesarean sections, and severe shortages of medical equipment and supplies threaten to destroy the fragile fabric of care offered in places like Kosti Maternity Hospital.

UNFPA stepped in to support the hospital with essential medical supplies, including an anesthesia machine, incubators, oxygen concentrators, manual breathing equipment and an ultrasound unit.

Capacity increase

These supplies have strengthened the hospital’s capacity to provide vital maternal and newborn health services, including reducing delays in emergency surgeries and saving the lives of babies born prematurely.

UNFPA’s installation of a solar energy system at the hospital also provided a much-needed alternative energy source, enabling essential services to operate.

Yet the hospital relies on generators to bridge the gap, underscoring the urgent need to invest in stronger infrastructure and resources.

Despite the challenges, humanitarian agencies face serious humanitarian funding gaps. With only three months left until 2025, UNFPA’s 2025 appeal for $145.7 million for Sudan is only 33% funded.

UNFPA and partners provided essential services to more than 586,000 people in Sudan, including emergency maternal and obstetric care, between January and August 2025. However, the scale of need far exceeds available resources.