Amazon has initiated a humanitarian relief effort for Jamaica and other Caribbean communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa. The company is collaborating with United Nations (UN) agencies and disaster response groups to provide emergency supplies, food, and technology support.
According to Amazon, Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, the most powerful hurricane in the island's recorded history. The storm displaced over 30,000 households and caused extensive power outages. In response, Amazon activated its global Disaster Relief team to coordinate aid efforts with UN agencies, the International Organization for Migration, and other nonprofit partners. The company's relief operations are concentrating on immediate recovery efforts, technology deployment, and food distribution for affected families.
Amazon has donated more than 150,000 emergency relief items—including generators, water filters, tarps, and hygiene kits—through its Disaster Relief hub near Atlanta. Additionally, the company provided 2,500 pounds of solar-powered batteries and Wi-Fi kits to restore communication for hospitals, police stations, and emergency responders. Reuters reports that this marks the first instance of Amazon deploying its disaster technology kits outside the United States, facilitating real-time coordination during post-storm recovery.
As part of its relief initiative, Amazon partnered with Operation BBQ Relief to deliver over 228,000 meals to hurricane-affected communities and donated 67,000 shelf-stable food items such as tuna, green beans, and milk. The company also distributed 8,800 solar lights and power banks to areas without electricity. Bloomberg notes that since 2017, Amazon has donated and delivered more than 26 million relief items to communities affected by over 200 global disasters by leveraging its logistics network for rapid response.
Amazon.com Inc., headquartered in Seattle, Washington (NASDAQ: AMZN), is a global technology and e-commerce company. Through its Amazon Disaster Relief program, the company collaborates year-round with international organizations to deliver emergency supplies, food, and communications technology to crisis-affected communities worldwide. Amazon operates 15 disaster relief hubs globally and has supported humanitarian responses in more than 70 countries since 2017.