* 4.2K migrants and refugees require immediate assistance across the region
* 280K people in Jamaica reached so far with assistance after Hurricane Melissa
* 11.6K people displaced due to armed violence in Artibonite, Haiti since 29 November
JAMAICA: HURRICANE MELISSA
More than one month after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, acute needs persist with more than 279,000 people from 90,000 households displaced, with very few returns despite numbers in shelters decreasing as families move into informal arrangements. Humanitarian partners have reached approximately 280,000 people with direct or indirect assistance, including food distributions and hot meals. Critical service gaps continue to prolong the crisis, with 21 per cent of households still without electricity and 17.5 per cent lacking reliable water, compounding daily hardships and health risks. An active leptospirosis outbreak, with 12 confirmed fatalities, is driving intensified public health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions. National authorities are leading planning and coordination, as the humanitarian response pivots toward recovery, though critical needs are expected to persist for months.
COLOMBIA: Heavy Rainfall
Heavy rainfall on 1-2 December in Leticia, Amazonas, affected approximately 1,090 people across 18 urban neighbourhoods. The 10-hour downpour, which the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies of Colombia (IDEAM) estimates was equivalent to an entire month's rainfall, damaged 218 homes. At least 15 people evacuated to temporary shelters due to high-risk conditions in their homes. Local authorities have requested a declaration of public calamity as a landslide threatens the main pipeline of the water supply system. The potential collapse of this infrastructure poses an imminent risk to the continuity of water service for approximately 5,000 users (around 12,000 people).
HAITI: VIOLENCE & DISPLACEMENT
Ongoing armed violence continues to drive humanitarian needs across Haiti. A new surge of attacks in the Artibonite department forced the displacement of over 11,600 people (approximately 2,800 households). In Bocozelle, Saint-Marc on 29-30 November, attacks resulted in the loss of life and burning of houses, displacing approximately 5,351 people. In L'Estère (Petite Desdunes) on 1 December, attacks displaced some 6,342 people. The majority of individuals from both incidents are seeking refuge with host families, with the rest sheltering in newly created sites. This pervasive violence and insecurity compound humanitarian and protection challenges, particularly as the country absorbs the return of deported migrants, with 250,000 Haitian migrants forcibly returned since January 2025.
REGIONAL: REFUGEES & MIGRATION
The Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants (R4V), co-led by IOM and UNHCR, has launched the 2026 Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP), appealing for US$763 million to support 1.2 million refugees and migrants across 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Across the region, 4.2 million migrants and refugees require immediate assistance in integration, protection and access to essential services. The plan, which reflects new dynamics including increasing southbound movements, focuses on optimizing the humanitarian response in the most vulnerable communities through a more harmonized structure in an effort to reduce duplications. Bringing together 152 organizations, the RMRP aims to support and complement national authorities in ensuring dignified interventions and driving long-term solutions.