In November, Jamaica was no longer trending.
The winds of Hurricane Melissa had quieted, the floodwaters had receded, and news crews packed up and moved on to the next headline. From the outside, it looked like the crisis was over.
But on the ground, it was only beginning.
Homes were flattened or swept away entirely. Families slept under tarps, in overcrowded shelters, or out in the open. Crops—their only source of food and income—were destroyed. Roads were damaged, businesses shut down, and jobs disappeared overnight.
Babies were already at risk. Without clean water, formula, or access to medical care, preventable illnesses turned deadly. Parents stood in lines hoping for aid that was never enough, wondering how to stretch a single meal across an entire family.
The storm may have passed, but hunger, homelessness, and grief remained.
And they still do.
