UNITED NATIONS, CMC – United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, spoke to Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, emphasizing afterward that “international support is crucial” as the country deals with the effects of the category five storm, which brought rain, storm surges, and catastrophic flooding and killed nearly 30 people.
“He calls for the mobilization of massive resources to deal with the loss and damage from the hurricane,” said the Deputy UN spokesperson, following Guterres’ talks with Prime Minister Holness on Sunday.
The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated four million US dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) so agencies and their partners can rapidly scale up humanitarian operations in Jamaica.
Six days after the most powerful storm in the island’s history made landfall in the west, many residents are still waiting for aid to arrive, according to local news reports, with many roads still inaccessible and communities without power and running water.
The top UN official on the island, Dennis Zulu, told UN News that around 13 UN agencies are working as quickly as possible alongside authorities to clear roads and make essential repairs.
“My team here remains committed…to ensure that Jamaica gets back on its feet,” he said.
The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said more than 700,000 children across the Caribbean had been impacted by the hurricane, which also made landfall in Cuba and caused chaos across western Haiti.
UNICEF is supporting the Jamaican government in reaching more than 284,000 children to address urgent nutrition needs and to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, including mental health support.
Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, said that several primary care facilities will play a critical supporting role in the ongoing post-hurricane recovery efforts across the public health system.
He said these facilities will focus on providing triage and outpatient services to help ease the burden on hospitals in the five most severely affected parishes.
“In the coming days, we will complete that process so that Jamaicans who need check-ups for diabetes, arthritis, and other chronic illnesses can receive attention at a site close enough to the hospital,” he added.
Energy, Transport and Telecommunications, Daryl Vaz, in collaboration with the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF), has received additional support from the United States government to bolster ongoing relief operations.
Three Black Hawk helicopters arrived at the JDF’s Air Wing, Norman Manley Base, on Sunday, and the aircraft will assist with supply distribution, search and rescue missions, and medical evacuations in areas most affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Washington has already indicated that it will donate an initial US$11 million to immediate assistance in communities affected by the hurricane, saying the funds will cover emergency food supplies for around 40,000 civilians, the installation of six water treatment systems, and mobile medical services, among other relief efforts.
Meanwhile, the Jamaican government says it will host a series of international fundraising concerts to support national hurricane relief efforts.
Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Olivia Grange, said that the initiative dubbed “Jamaica Love,” will feature some of the country’s most celebrated reggae artists and musicians, alongside friends of Jamaica from across the world, with all proceeds going towards the national recovery program.
The first concert is set for Friday, November 14, at the National Stadium.
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