Haiti Sets 3 Mourning Days, Emergency Status After Hurricane Melissa

Badminton AAH/Vicky Onelien via UN News/Hini urban areas were flooded after heavy rains

JAKARTA - The government of Haiti has set three days of national mourning to commemorate the victims of Hurricane Melissa that hit the country last week.

In addition, emergency status was also imposed in a number of areas, Haiti's Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aime, said on Monday, November 3.

Based on preliminary data from Haiti's civil defense agency, as many as 30 people were reported killed and about 20 others still missing due to the storm.

"Monday, November 3, Tuesday, November 4, and Wednesday, November 5, 2025, it was designated as a day of national mourning to commemorate the victims of the disaster," said an official statement from the local government as reported by ANTARA from Sputnik.

During the mourning period, the national flag will be raised by half a pole throughout Haiti. Entertainment venues will be closed, while radio and television stations are asked to broadcast relevant programs and music as a form of respect and national solidarity.

As a result of the damage caused by the storm, the government has also set an emergency status in several departments from November 3, 2025 to February 3, 2026.

This step aims to facilitate the distribution of aid to victims, ensure the security of affected areas, and accelerate the recovery of community vital activities.

Hurricane Melissa previously landed in Jamaica on Tuesday as a category five storm, causing flooding and severe damage to infrastructure.

The storm then crossed Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, as well as a number of small island nations in the Caribbean, leaving traces of destruction along its path.