CARE's work in the Caribbean

Two Jamaican women walk side by side down a sandy path.

Tamisha Lee, President of the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers (left) and Delesha McCarthy (right), a producer of cocoa and a member of the Essex Hall community in Kingston.

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In the Caribbean, CARE works with local partners to boost disaster response, coordinate storm preparedness, and support long-term community resilience.

A partnership across islands

The Caribbean is a region comprised of small island nations that are at high risk to natural disasters due to their geographical location and topography. Many of the islands located in the Caribbean Sea are prone to hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. The need for humanitarian aid in the region is crucial as sea levels continue to rise and storms grow in strength.

Nearly 30% of the Caribbean population lives below the poverty line, making recovery and rebuilding efforts particularly difficult for those in low-income families. Since 2023, CARE and the Caribbean Gender Alliance have worked to partner with local civil society organizations across 13 countries (Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago) to prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Hurricane Beryl brought strong winds and heavy rains to Jamaica that destroyed homes, roads, and electrical infrastructure across the island.

CARE’s focus in the Caribbean

CARE and our local partners in the Caribbean work together to provide cross-country coordination and support during emergency response events. We are also committed to helping build resilient communities with a focus on protecting people’s dignity, health, and livelihoods. In order to achieve this, we focus on three main areas of work.

  1. Preparedness: CARE and local partners help support and expand emergency response and early warning systems that are already in place. We also work to provide assistance with the prepositioning of resources and materials prior to major storms.
  2. Emergency response: CARE and partners have the capacity to launch emergency response strategies that are effective, equal, and sensitive to the needs of women and girls in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, like after Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and Hurricane Melissa in 2025. This includes helping those affected with cash assistance, food, shelter resources, health services, and more.
  3. Resilience programs and projects: In an effort to build and strengthen communities, CARE serves all Caribbean people with a focus on marginalized groups. This includes promoting women’s economic empowerment and supporting small-scale farmers and rural women.

Strengthening disaster response through the Caribbean Humanitarian Partnership Platform

CARE works in the Caribbean with the Caribbean Humanitarian Partnership Platform — a coalition of lifesaving, locally led, and women-focused organizations. Our work is carried out with our key partner, the Caribbean Gender Alliance (CGA). In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 storm, brought catastrophic flooding, landslides, and winds to Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. Working with our local partners, CARE helped provide cash assistance, shelter and building repair materials, livelihood recovery support, and safety and health services.

As extreme weather continues to affect the Caribbean region, CARE and its partners are helping communities prepare, adapt, and thrive — ensuring that women, girls, and other at-risk populations are central to every solution.