Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, hit southwestern Jamaica on 28 October as a Category 5 system—the worst hurricane to hit the area since 1988—before crossing into eastern Cuba as a Category 3 the following day.
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.
More than 54,000 people remain evacuated, 7,500 of them in state centers.
• 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.
Marina Topuskanian embarked in a volunteering journey in Poland. In her article she described her learning and growth journey.
Under the "Picture It, Build your Future" European Solidarity Corps program funded by the European Union, Marina spent six months in Poland between October 2023 and April 2024, and engaged in activities with the local community.
