Shaggy delivers vital aid to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa

JAMAICA - Global superstar Shaggy assists Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica, focusing on areas that were hit the hardest by the devastating category 5 hurricane.

Hurricane Melissa relief efforts

What we know:

Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean with sustained winds of 185 mph, leaving widespread destruction and heartbreak in its wake.

When Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, it pummeled communities across the island — none harder hit than Saint Elizabeth Parish, where homes, farms and livelihoods were flattened.

Grammy Award-winning artist Shaggy was already mobilizing private planes from Florida, using Kingston as a hub, to deliver critical aid to the hardest-hit regions.

"Nothing can prepare you for it," Shaggy told FOX 5 NY. "I lived through Hurricane Gilbert, which was a category three, and I saw firsthand the destruction that caused. So, when I heard this was a category five — no one had ever seen that — I knew it would be catastrophic."

Despite early government recovery efforts, access remains a major challenge with miles of roads washed out or blocked by debris.

"The area is totally demolished," he said. "It’s like a bomb exploded. When I’m on the ground seeing what I see… These are my people, and they’re homeless."

Shaggy and friends, including Florida attorney Dan Newlin, who provided the planes, pushed through treacherous conditions to reach isolated communities.

"It took us six hours to get there," he said. "We had to chop our way through roads, wade through deep puddles… but we got in."

Unsure what supplies were most needed, Shaggy turned to technology, using ChatGPT to identify essential relief items before purchasing them himself.

"We focused on what people actually need: diapers for babies, sanitary pads, water, flashlights, batteries. The basics that keep you going."

Shaggy also secured Starlink satellite devices to help reconnect communities cut off from the outside world, allowing survivors to contact loved ones and confirm they were safe.

Dig deeper:

Having sold over 20 million records, Shaggy has devoted much of his career to philanthropy, including children’s initiatives and Bustamante Hospital for Children in Jamaica. But this disaster, he says, brings another concern.

"There’s the psychological toll," he noted. "The emotional effect this will have on Jamaicans… I hope that’s minimal."

To ensure your donation directly helps those most affected, Shaggy encourages contributions to Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), Food for the Poor, Support Jamaica.gov and The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation.