A government-chartered flight from the UK is scheduled to leave Jamaica on Saturday to evacuate British citizens following Hurricane Melissa.
The flight, departing from Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport, follows the UK’s provision of aid earlier the same day as part of a £7.5m emergency package for the region.
Some funds will be allocated to match public donations up to £1m for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, with King Charles and Queen Camilla among the contributors.
Despite the arrival of aid in Jamaica in recent days, distribution has been hindered by blocked roads after Hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc across the island, resulting in at least 19 fatalities.
The hurricane made landfall on Tuesday classified as a category five storm, marking it as one of the most intense hurricanes ever documented in the Caribbean.
Melissa traversed the region for several days, leaving destruction and dozens of casualties. In Haiti, a minimum of 30 lives were lost, while Cuba experienced flooding and landslides as well.
Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s Information Minister, stated on Friday, “there are entire communities that appear to be cut off and regions that look devastated.”
Approximately 8,000 British nationals were believed to be on the island at the time of the hurricane’s impact.
The UK foreign office has urged citizens in Jamaica to register their locations and advises travelers to contact their airlines to check for available commercial flights.
The UK initially allocated a £2.5m immediate financial aid package for the region, with an additional £5m announced by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Friday.
Cooper noted that the announcement was timed as “more details are now emerging regarding the extent of devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, with homes damaged, roads blocked, and lives lost.”
The British Red Cross stated that the donation from the King and Queen would assist the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) in “continuing its life-saving efforts,” which encompass search and rescue operations in Jamaica, as well as ensuring access to healthcare, secure shelter, and clean water.
The Red Cross indicated that 72% of Jamaica’s population still lacks electricity, with around 6,000 individuals in emergency shelters.
Until the Jamaican government can restore the damaged electricity grid, any generators that aid organizations can distribute will be crucial.
Tarpaulins will also be essential due to the severity of the housing crisis.
In the meantime, with numerous individuals in need of clean drinking water and basic food supplies, patience is wearing thin, and there are increasing reports of desperate individuals entering supermarkets to gather and distribute whatever food they can find.
The BBC has witnessed long lines at petrol stations, with people waiting for hours only to be informed there is no fuel left upon reaching the front of the line.
Some individuals are seeking fuel for generators, while others need it for cars to reach areas where they can communicate with others, as most of the island is without power.
The nation’s health minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, on Saturday characterized the situation as “significant damage” across multiple hospitals, with the Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth being the most impacted.
“That facility will have to be completely relocated in terms of services for now,” he stated.
“The immediate challenge for the affected hospitals is to maintain accident and emergency services,” Dr. Tufton continued. “We are witnessing a surge of patients arriving at these facilities with trauma-related injuries from falls, ladders, and nails penetrating their feet.”
The minister mentioned that arrangements have been made for a continuous supply of fuel to the facilities along with a “daily provision of water.”
Although aid is entering the country, landslides, downed power lines, and fallen trees have rendered certain roads unpassable.
Nonetheless, some of the areas hardest hit in Jamaica are expected to receive relief soon.
At least one aid organization, Global Empowerment Mission, deployed this morning from Kingston with a seven-truck convoy to Black River, the severely damaged town in western Jamaica, transporting humanitarian aid packages assembled by volunteers from the Jamaican diaspora community in Florida.
Additional assistance is also arriving from other aid organizations and foreign governments via helicopter.
This aid is still only a fraction of what the affected communities require, but officials assert that more is on the way.
