A flight carrying British aid arrived in Jamaica early on Saturday to help with recovery efforts after Hurricane Melissa, as the UK plans its first chartered flight to bring British nationals home later on Saturday. The aid flight brought more than 3,000 emergency shelter kits as part of a £7.5m regional emergency package. Part of the funding will be used to match public donations up to £1m to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent - with King Charles and Queen Camilla among those who have donated.
Despite aid arriving in Jamaica in recent days, fallen trees and landslides have complicated distribution after Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of the island, killing at least 19 people. The hurricane made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a category five storm and was one of the most powerful hurricanes ever measured in the Caribbean. Melissa swept across the region over a number of days and left behind a trail of destruction, with at least 30 lives lost in Haiti and extensive flooding and landslides reported in Cuba.
Jamaica's Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon stated, 'There are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened.' The UK initially set aside a £2.5 million immediate financial support package, with an additional £5 million announced by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper recently. As of Saturday morning, 72% of the population in Jamaica still lack electricity, and approximately 6,000 individuals are currently in emergency shelters. Aid efforts face severe disruptions due to impassable roads, but organizations like Global Empowerment Mission are mobilizing assistance from Kingston to the hardest-hit areas, including Black River, where the need for humanitarian support is urgent.
Despite aid arriving in Jamaica in recent days, fallen trees and landslides have complicated distribution after Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of the island, killing at least 19 people. The hurricane made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a category five storm and was one of the most powerful hurricanes ever measured in the Caribbean. Melissa swept across the region over a number of days and left behind a trail of destruction, with at least 30 lives lost in Haiti and extensive flooding and landslides reported in Cuba.
Jamaica's Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon stated, 'There are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened.' The UK initially set aside a £2.5 million immediate financial support package, with an additional £5 million announced by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper recently. As of Saturday morning, 72% of the population in Jamaica still lack electricity, and approximately 6,000 individuals are currently in emergency shelters. Aid efforts face severe disruptions due to impassable roads, but organizations like Global Empowerment Mission are mobilizing assistance from Kingston to the hardest-hit areas, including Black River, where the need for humanitarian support is urgent.
