Images from Port-au-Prince (Haiti) on 28 October 2025. (GUERINAULT LOUIS / ANADOLU / AFP)

The consequences of Hurricane Melissa

Since 28 October 2025, Hurricane Melissa has violently struck several areas of the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, causing tragic loss of life, severe flooding, destruction of infrastructure and the displacement of many people.

Beyond the devastating rains and winds, it is now the lack of access to clean water that is putting thousands of people at risk. During climate disasters such as hurricanes, cyclones or typhoons, water supply networks are often damaged and groundwater contaminated by sewage.

In the hours and days following Hurricane Melissa, access to clean water became a matter of life and death for the affected populations.

Water risks

Water hazards after a hurricane

After a natural disaster such as Hurricane Melissa, water quickly becomes a vector for infectious diseases. Flooding often causes sewage systems to overflow, contaminating wells, rivers and cisterns.

The most common risks are microbiological in origin:

-> Bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella or Vibrio cholerae can cause acute diarrhoea and rapid dehydration.

-> Enteric viruses such as hepatitis A, norovirus or rotavirus spread easily in areas where drinking water is compromised.

-> Parasites such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium thrive in stagnant water and cause severe digestive disorders.

Without access to treated water, these pathogens can trigger epidemics in just a few days, particularly in temporary shelters and camps for displaced persons.

Le filtre à eau ORISA est distribué au Brésil dans le cadre d'un déploiement humanitaire

Water filtration in emergency situations: ORISA®, a sustainable and versatile solution

In the face of this climate disaster, autonomous purification solutions such as ORISA® water purifiers provide a concrete and immediate emergency response. Humanitarian water purifiers play a major role in preventing these epidemics by providing populations with access to safe water.

These devices:

- Eliminate 99.999999% of bacteria and 99.999% of viruses and parasites, even in turbid water.

- Do not require electricity, a major advantage in crisis situations.

- Are portable and easy to deploy in disaster areas.

- Are durable thanks to their ultrafiltration membrane with a capacity of approximately 20,000 litres of water.

Thanks to their high-performance ultrafiltration technology, ORISA® water filters enable populations and humanitarian teams to make locally available water drinkable, drastically reducing the risk of waterborne disease transmission. The ORISA® purifier stands out for its ease of use, robustness and efficiency. These characteristics make it ideal for emergency humanitarian interventions.

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To better anticipate emergency responses to climate disasters, humanitarian NGOs must build contingency stocks containing water purifiers. This enables them to respond quickly within 24 to 48 hours of a disaster to prevent a health crisis.

Pre-positioning ORISA® filters in at-risk areas makes it possible to:

- Ensure immediate autonomy for teams in the field.

- Protect populations in the first hours after a hurricane.

- Reduce the logistical costs associated with transporting bottled water.

In Mayotte, for example, Solidarités International was able to build up a contingency stockpile thanks to the creation of a solidarity fund set up after Cyclone Chido struck.

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Distribution de purificateurs d’eau ORISA dans une communauté villageoise à madagascar, entourée d’enfants et de familles réunis autour du matériel distribuée par Un Enfant par la Main

Building resilience among vulnerable populations

In summary, humanitarian actors and local authorities must have stocks of water purifiers available so they can respond quickly after a natural disaster.

At the same time, training and equipping communities before hurricane season is essential to strengthening their self-reliance.

A household equipped with an ORISA® water purifier can ensure its own drinking water supply from the very first hours, without relying on outside help.

This joint logistical and community preparation reduces health risks and ensures the long-term resilience of communities in the face of hurricanes.

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