The Caribbean and Central American regions have a long history of hurricanes. However, the frequency and intensity has increased in recent years. From Hurricane Mitch in 1998 to Hurricanes Irma (2017), Maria (2017), Dorian (2019), Beryl (2024) and Melissa (2025), there is clear evidence of rising damage and losses. 

UNDP is making significant efforts to strengthen government capacity in Central America and the Caribbean, aimed at more effective management of recovery processes. In recent years, government officials and authorities have been trained in needs assessment and recovery plans. 

In 2024 and 2025, UNDP launched the Hurricane Preparedness Support Mechanism (HPSM). It has provided training and technical and financial assistance to prioritized country offices so that they are ready in anticipation of a disaster. 

In this way, the country offices have been strengthening their capacities, both internally, for a better functioning of their programmatic and operational areas, and externally, to provide rapid support to their governments on key issues for recovery. 

During 2024, these capacities were fundamental in the Hurricane Beryl response of UNDP in Barbados and Jamaica, and to UNDP Cuba, after hurricanes Óscar and Rafael. Cuba was also impacted by earthquakes during that same period. 

Country office teams provided support for a comprehensive needs assessment, recovery planning, emergency shelters and livelihoods. 

UNDP always puts people at the centre of its interventions, with a special emphasis on the gender approach, to leave no one behind. In Cuba, the Disaster Risk Care and Management tool was reinforced for its integration into preparedness and recovery. In Jamaica, it contributed to strengthening the economic autonomy of women entrepreneurs facilitating their recovery and that of their families. 

The gender approach has been expanded in 2025, promoting the link between vulnerability and risk information systems with the mapping of care systems in Honduras, and working with women-led companies encouraging the use of new technologies such as Blockchain in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic

In 2025 the Caribbean region has once again experienced hurricanes and tropical storms. At the end of October, Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica and Cuba, causing widespread damage. Both UNDP offices immediately activated their business continuity plans, maintaining direct contact with government institutions and making UNDP capacities available to initiate recovery processes as quickly as possible. 

Under the HPSM, UNDP Jamaica has worked with associations of small entrepreneurs, specifically integrating women entrepreneurs in hurricane preparedness. This coordination has made it possible to promote an immediate livelihood reactivation programme linked to early recovery, such as debris removal.

In Cuba, the mechanism contributed to the office's access to an Anticipatory Action Fund of US$1 million, which allowed it to acquire roofing, tarpaulins for temporary housing, tools, electric generators and mattresses. 

The examples of Cuba and Jamaica reinforce the importance of strengthening capacities in advance to be able to intervene immediately and respond effectively.

As the Regional Report on Human Development in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 states, putting people, especially the most vulnerable, at the center of risk reduction and recovery actions requires resilience-oriented governance, with agile and flexible instruments, strong institutions at all levels of the state and solid infrastructure and services.