Cuba, Hurricane Melissa: Flash Update No. 5 (As of November 5, 2025)

HIGHLIGHTS

• One week after Hurricane Melissa passed through, more than 50 communities in the eastern region remain cut off due to flooding and infrastructure damage, according to Civil Defense reports.

• Nearly 120,000 people remain in shelters amid severe flooding, landslides, and rising rivers that prevent them from returning to their homes.

• The number of damaged educational centers has risen to 1,552, which represents 30% of the 5,177 institutions in the sector across the affected provinces of Granma, Guantánamo, Holguín, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba.

• The number of damaged healthcare institutions has risen to 461, including major hospitals, polyclinics, medical offices, and pharmacies.

• So far, 78,700 hectares of crops have been reported damaged, along with the loss of more than 28,000 head of livestock in the province of Granma alone.

• Civil Defense has estimated that the number of affected homes exceeds 60,000, most of them with roof damage.

• Electricity and telecommunications services in Santiago de Cuba continue to face a very tense situation, with only 3% of circuits connected and 3% of landline telephone service available — a scenario that increases the vulnerability of thousands of people and hinders access to up-to-date information.

• The UN System in Cuba has presented the Plan of Action in support of the response to this emergency, developed in close coordination with national authorities. The Plan seeks to mobilize USD $74.2 million to assist nearly one million people in the most affected provinces.

461 healthcare institutions damaged

1,552 educational centers damaged

78,700 hectares of crops damaged

3% of circuits connected in Santiago de Cuba

20,000 people in shelters

SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

As the extent of the damage becomes clearer, the impact continues to grow in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Granma — the two most severely hit by Hurricane Melissa.

The number of affected educational centers has increased to 1,552, which represents 30% of the 5,177 institutions in the sector across those provinces. Classes remain suspended in Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Granma, and Holguín, and there is still no official date for the resumption of general education.

In the health sector, the number of damaged facilities has risen to 461, including hospitals, polyclinics, medical offices, and pharmacies.

Santiago de Cuba is experiencing the most severe energy crisis, with only 3% of the province's circuits connected. In telecommunications, only 3% of landline phones are in service and just 18% of radio base stations are operational, making access to up-to-date information difficult and increasing the vulnerability risk for thousands of people.

Telecommunications authorities warn that the damage includes more than 1,000 poles, 400 telephone cables, over 60 fiber optic cables, and six towers — the recovery of which could take several weeks.

Nearly 120,000 people remain sheltered in refuges amid heavy flooding, overflowing rivers, and landslides. A week after the hurricane passed, collapsed bridges, blocked roads, and debris accumulation continue to hinder access to dozens of isolated communities.

According to information from the National Defense Council, more than 60,000 homes have been reported affected, most of them with damage involving partial or total destruction of their roofs.

In addition to the 78,000 hectares of lost crops — more than half of which were banana plantations — the province of Granma alone has reported the loss of over 28,000 head of cattle, hundreds of small livestock animals, and more than 110,000 liters of milk left uncollected, all within a context of serious challenges to food security for the region and the country.