Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered “immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba” affected by Hurricane Melissa. On the left, a family salvages belongings from the rubble of their home after Hurricane Melissa’s passage through Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Getty Images

MSN – Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Thursday that the U.S. is “prepared to offer immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba” affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The move comes as the State Department deployed teams that are expected to arrive in the Caribbean as early as Thursday to support disaster response after Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on Tuesday.

“In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastation of eastern Cuba, the Trump Administration stands with the brave Cuban people who continue to struggle to meet basic needs. As in neighboring Caribbean countries, the Department is issuing a Declaration of Humanitarian Assistance for Cuba and is prepared to provide immediate humanitarian assistance directly and via local partners who can most effectively deliver it to those in need,” Rubio said.

“U.S. law includes exemptions and authorizations relating to private donations of food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods to Cuba, as well as disaster response,” he added. “We encourage those seeking to directly support the Cuban people to contact us if there are any issues.”