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The U.S. Department of State reaffirmed its commitment to humanitarian assistance in the Western Hemisphere this Wednesday in light of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, announcing a series of concrete initiatives through its new Humanitarian Response and Disaster Office (DHR).
The official statement emphasizes that the U.S. "is ready to respond to the impact of storms in our hemisphere during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season" with the launch of the first humanitarian assistance center of the DHR in South Florida.
This initiative formalizes a coordination center led by the Department of State to better integrate strategically prepositioned emergency supplies in the region.
In addition, advisors from the DHR will be incorporated into the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to expand technical expertise and enhance civil-military coordination in disaster response.
The announcement explicitly relies on the experience gained during the response to the hurricane Melissa in 2025, which devastated the Caribbean and made landfall in eastern Cuba on October 29 as a category three storm, near Playa Dos Ríos.
Melissa affected more than 3.5 million Cubans, damaged or destroyed between 90,000 and 100,000 homes on the island, and left at least 49 dead in the Caribbean, according to UN assessments.
The Cuban regime tried to downplay the impact: Díaz-Canel admitted severe damages just days after official spokespeople claimed there were no deaths or injuries, while external sources confirmed direct victims.
In response to Melissa, Washington deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and Urban Search and Rescue teams in the Caribbean on November 4, 2025, an action that the statement cites as a precedent of the new institutional architecture.
Under the "America First Foreign Assistance" policy of the Trump administration, the U.S. will allocate 20% of its total foreign assistance resources to the Western Hemisphere, redirecting aid to the region as a demonstration of American leadership.
"We are making progress on priorities and demonstrating American leadership by committing 20% of our assistance resources to our region," noted the official U.S. Foreign Assistance account in Spanish.
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season will officially begin on June 1. Forecasts indicate activity below the historical average: the Colorado State University predicts 13 named storms and six hurricanes, while INSMET projects 11 tropical cyclones and five hurricanes, with a 40% chance of impacting Cuba.
The main suppressive factor would be the likely consolidation of El Niño starting in July, although the experience of Melissa—which rapidly intensified over warm Caribbean waters—justifies maintaining high levels of preparedness, especially for vulnerable countries like Cuba, Haiti, and the island nations of the region.
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