Pope Urges All Possible Aid for Populations Affected by Hurricane Melissa

Pope Leo XIV expressed his closeness on Wednesday to the populations affected by Hurricane Melissa, which has traversed Jamaica and also reached Cuba, urging authorities to do all they can to help them, in a message at the end of the general audience held in St. Peter's Square.

"In recent days, Hurricane Melissa has struck Jamaica, a storm of catastrophic power that is causing violent floods and in these hours is crossing Cuba. Thousands of people have been evacuated, and it has devastated homes, infrastructure, and several hospitals," the pontiff recalled.

The Pope expressed his closeness by praying "for those who have lost their lives, for those who have fled, and for those populations who, awaiting the evolution of the storm, are living through hours of anxiety and worry."

Furthermore, he urged civil authorities "to do all that is possible" and thanked "the Christian communities, together with volunteer organizations, for the help they are providing."

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, made landfall in eastern Cuba at 7:10 UTC this Wednesday, accompanied by strong winds, intense rainfall, and a significant storm surge.

Melissa crossed Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, causing severe damage to infrastructure, leaving more than 530,000 people without power, and isolating several communities due to road damage. The island's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, declared the country a "catastrophic zone."