UN Jamaica mobilises US$4 million in emergency support for Hurricane Melissa recovery

Four weeks after Hurricane Melissa decimated several communities in western Jamaica, the United Nations has confirmed additional funding of US$4 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to enable four UN agencies to scale up relief efforts on the ground.

This was announced by UN Resident Coordinator, Dennis Zulu, during a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery, held at Jamaica House on Wednesday, 26 November.

Mr Zulu told his audience that, in the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s unprecedented impact, the UN has stood firmly with the Government and people of Jamaica. 

“Today, we mark another important milestone in our collective response and I am, therefore, pleased to confirm approval of an extra US$4 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to accelerate life-saving humanitarian activities across the hardest-hit parishes,” he added.

The CERF allocation will be implemented through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), and the World Food Programme (WFP) – in close collaboration with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and relevant government ministries and agencies.

Describing the US$4 million allocation as a “clear demonstration of global solidarity with Jamaica at a time when needs are immense”, Mr Zulu said that, from the onset of the emergency, the UN has been working closely with national authorities to support immediate needs and had deployed a coordinated package of assistance across the hardest-hit parishes. He also acknowledged the leadership of the Jamaican Government, as well as ongoing partnerships with national authorities, global partners and first responders, whose work he described as “nothing less than extraordinary”.

“More than 145,000 Jamaicans have received assistance across multiple sectors. Over 145,000 Jamaicans have benefited from emergency food support. Thirty-four thousand residents in the parishes of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth and Trelawny received food assistance through collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the WFP,” the UN Head said, adding that IOM, together with the Government, NGOs and community partners, had distributed over 14,000 tarpaulins to families in need, including those in marooned communities.

He further noted that the UN, led by UNICEF and in collaboration with other partners including Water Mission International and Global Support Development, had distributed over 740,000 litres of safe drinking water to families. UN support to the health sector included the deployment of emergency medical teams, establishment of urgent health-care facilities, and mental health and psychosocial services, alongside protection efforts across affected communities.

“Across all these efforts, the UN coordination system has worked hand-in-hand with ODPEM and relevant ministries, ensuring that assistance is data-driven, needs-based and nationally led. This partnership remains central to our collective recovery,” Mr Zulu maintained.

He emphasised that the CERF allocation builds on ongoing work by the UN Development System and would allow four key UN agencies to scale up and sustain targeted humanitarian interventions. He explained that these include providing critical relief supplies, supporting emergency shelter needs, and restoring access to basic services and the most critical needs in the hardest-hit communities.

IOM, he said, will provide emergency shelter and non-food items for 8,800 of the most vulnerable people in Westmoreland, Hanover, Saint James and Trelawny, prioritising last-mile delivery to families whose homes and possessions have been destroyed. “WFP will provide cash-based food assistance to 10,756 beneficiaries, supporting hurricane-affected households in priority parishes to meet their food and essential needs. UNICEF will lead the water, sanitation and hygiene response, reaching over 220,000 people with emergency safe water, restoration of water-supply systems, and hygiene and sanitation support,” he added.

Mr Zulu further indicated that, through this mechanism, PAHO/WHO will support the continuity of essential health care for 600,000 people, including the provision of medical supplies, urgent repairs to health facilities, deployment of emergency medical teams, and provision of mental health and psychosocial services.

While reaffirming the UN’s solidarity, the UN Head stressed that support would continue beyond immediate relief, with a focus on recovery through the collective efforts of 22 UN agencies. “As Jamaica transitions from immediate relief to early recovery, we will continue to work hand-in-hand with government authorities, development partners, the private sector, civil society and, indeed, affected communities,” he assured, noting that the challenges ahead are immense and that rebuilding will require sustained effort over years.

The UN’s global emergency fund was designed to enable rapid, impartial and targeted assistance when crisis strikes. It pools contributions from Member States, the private sector and individuals, allowing the UN to deploy resources immediately to save lives in the critical first days.