As Jamaica experiences the historic arrival of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) has activated its relief efforts in collaboration with upscale St. Andrew restaurant Mystic Thai.
In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), WCK shared that Mystic Thai’s team prepared comforting meals — curried chicken with rice and salad — for families already sheltering from the storm. The initiative is part of WCK’s rapid-response network, which partners with local chefs and restaurants to ensure communities have access to nourishing meals during crises.
“In Kingston, WCK partner Mystic Thai prepared meals ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s arrival,” the organization wrote. “With our network of local partners, we’re ready to begin serving more meals as soon as it’s safe after Melissa’s landfall.”
The meals were neatly packed in foil trays, featuring generous portions of steaming basmati rice, savory curry chicken, and a fresh side of coleslaw-style salad — designed for quick distribution and easy consumption under emergency conditions.
Hurricane Melissa begin to lash Jamaica as a category 5 storm on Tuesday October 27, 2025 in South west St. Elizabeth with heavy rain and winds up to 300 km/h. The National Hurricane Center reported that it is an “extremely Dangerous Category 5 Melissa Crossing Western Jamaica. Catastrophic Winds, Flash Flooding, and Storm Surge Occurring On The Island.”
WCK’s #ChefsForJamaica operation stands ready to scale up once conditions allow. The nonprofit, founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, rapidly expanded its humanitarian reach after 2010, growing from $30 million in funding in 2019 to $250 million in 2020. The organization provides locally prepared meals in crisis zones worldwide—including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Uganda, Palestine, and the U.S.—and played a major role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With about 200 staff led by CEO Erin Gore and Emergency Response Director Sam Bloch, WCK received a significant boost in 2021 when Jeff Bezos awarded Andrés $100 million through his Courage and Civility Award, part of which was used to aid Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion. That same year, WCK raised $519 million in donations.
Tragedy struck on April 1, 2024, when seven WCK workers were killed in Israeli drone strikes in Gaza. Andrés condemned the attacks as deliberate, criticizing Israel’s actions as “a war against humanity” and urging that food must never be used as a weapon.
