Nearly three months after Category 5 Huricane Melissa in Jamaica, World Central Kitchen is assisting families affected by the damage. The organisation is providing hot meals and food kits to support communities as they rebuild following the storm.
World Central Kitchen Supports Jamaica’s Recovery
World Central Kitchen deployed its Relief Team to the Caribean before Hurricane Melissa started, allowing the organisation to respond immediately after the storm. During the storm, communities across Jamaica witnessed severe winds, rain and flooding leading to mass evacuations and the opening of emergency shelters.
In the nearly three months since the hurricane, WCK announced on X that their teams have been supporting communities as they recover, evolving their efforts to meet local needs while keeping their goal of helping families constant.
To expand meal delivery, the organisation has opened two field kitchens in Montego Bay and Negril. In Montego Bay, a convention center was converted into a large-capacity kitchen with support from the Sandals Foundation.
Another kitchen in Negril, along with more than 30 partners, helps WCK reach the hardest-hit communities. WCK teams coordinate with local volunteers and delivery services to ensure meals reach even the most remote or affected areas.
“As soon as Hurricane Melissa passed, WCK’s #ChefsForJamaica teams were serving hot meals across Kingston,” said World Central Kitchen. “The damage from the storm is widespread, and communities are beginning the long and difficult task of cleaning up and rebuilding. We’ll be with them every step of the way with comforting warm meals.”
WCK teams delivered thousands of patties from local restaurant partner Mother’s to families across Clarendon, St.Catherine, St. Andrew, and Kingston, providing comfort in a difficult time. It has also extended relief to Cuba, distributing food kits and supplying kitchen equipment to households that lost appliances.
WCK’s Background And Previous Efforts
Previously in Jamaica, World Central Kitchen responded to Hurricane Beryl in 2024, serving over 43,000 meals across five countries. Since its founding by Chef José Andrés in 2010, WCK has been providing emergency meals and investing in resilience programs across the Caribbean and Central America.
The organisation also supported communities in other crises, such as wildfires in Chile.
WCK is currently providing hot meals to families in Kyiv amid prolonged winter outages. The organisation is operating “Bohrach Stations,” also called “Invincibility Points,” to serve warm, nutrient-rich bowls of bohrach
WCK announced on X that these stations support around 200,000 residents affected by outages in Kyiv and nearby areas, including Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel.
WCK plans to maintain operations in Jamaica and Cuba while assessing further community needs. The organisation continues to supply means and cooking support to families, contributing to the islands’ recovery and rebuilding process
