I am writing to update the House on the impact of Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean and the action the Government are taking in response, following my recent visit to Jamaica, where I witnessed at first hand the devastation caused and the scale of the challenge facing communities.
Nearly 6 million people throughout the Caribbean have been affected by Hurricane Melissa, with Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti suffering the most acute impacts. In Jamaica, 45 deaths have been reported, and the World Bank has estimated that there has been up to $8.8 billion in damage—over 41% of the country’s 2024 GDP. In Haiti, assessing the scale of the damage has been challenging, with critical roads and bridges swept away, and severe damage to the agricultural sector. Haitian authorities report 43 deaths in the coastal town of Petit-Goave alone, and approximately 250,000 people have been affected. In Cuba, extensive damage was caused to infrastructure, agriculture and essential services. In the Bahamas, and in the UK overseas territories of Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands and Bermuda, the impact was limited but nonetheless disruptive.
Throughout my time in Jamaica, the importance of the UK’s support was evident. The UK Government have assisted Jamaica in three different ways. First and most importantly, there is the work that we do in advance of any crisis. The UK is a long-standing champion of disaster finance mechanisms, and it has worked closely with Jamaica to set up a sophisticated pre-arranged finance framework, with a reported $1.6 billion available to respond to disasters through financial instruments. We were also a founding donor of a regional risk pool—the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility. The CCRIF has announced that Jamaica has received around $92 million from hurricane and excess rainfall insurance, and Jamaica’s catastrophe bond paid out $150 million last week. The UK is also a major contributor to the Red Cross and UN global emergency response funds, as well as the Start non-governmental organisation network, with over £14 million additionally triggered for vulnerable households in affected countries, both for preparation ahead of the hurricane, and for humanitarian relief post impact. These initiatives provide countries with security at their most insecure time and allow them to rebuild at pace. I pay credit to the Jamaican Government for their prudence and foresight in engaging such frameworks.
Second is the work that the UK has done bilaterally. We delivered over 18,000 core relief items, such as emergency shelter kits, hygiene kits and solar lanterns, which are directly assisting approximately 33,000 people. HMS Trent arrived in Jamaica on 2 November, having supported the Turks and Caicos in the immediate aftermath of Melissa. 24 Commando Royal Engineers, alongside the ship’s company, cleared debris, repaired storm damage, and conducted urgent repairs at Falmouth hospital and a local primary school. These efforts enabled the Spanish Government-run field hospital to occupy wards.
The UK emergency medical team was deployed to deliver primary healthcare services in support of Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellbeing; the provision of two mobile clinics operating in rural areas of Trelawny parish supported affected communities and reduced the burden on Jamaican healthcare. To date, our teams have seen 1,225 patients. We are also supporting the Caribbean Public Health Agency with public health supplies and specialist technical support.
The UK is also funding the staffing of a field hospital in Savana-la-Mar. Demonstrating the benefit of the UK’s efforts to build climate-resilient healthcare, I visited Santa Cruz health centre in Saint Elizabeth, a UK-funded resilient hospital implemented by the Pan American Health Organization—the regional WHO office—in collaboration with Jamaica’s Ministry of Health. The hospital has survived both Hurricanes Beryl and Melissa, continuing to provide critical healthcare throughout these crises. We have also provided funding for the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation, which has deployed 51 specialist energy sector personnel to support restoration of the national electrical grid.
Lastly, there is the work we have been delivering through multinational organisations. We have funded critical surge staff positions in UN agencies in both Jamaica and Haiti, as well as providing humanitarian experts to support the British high commission in Kingston. During my visit to Saint Elizabeth, I met children directly affected by the storm—30% of early learning facilities were severely damaged, and another 30% were impacted. The UK has provided £850,000 to UNICEF to deliver water and sanitation services, child protection, and education support. I saw UNICEF’s mobile child-friendly spaces, which offer critical psychosocial support to children in affected communities. In Saint Elizabeth, I also observed the World Food Programme’s efforts, supported by £2 million from the UK, to provide emergency food supplies, strengthen humanitarian logistics, and deliver telecommunications expertise.
The Red Cross Jamaica is using £1 million in UK funding to provide emergency shelter, cash assistance, psychosocial support, including for children, and water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies. Preparations are also under way for cash assistance programmes led by the World Food Programme, the Red Cross, and UNICEF to help affected families purchase essentials and restore livelihoods once markets stabilise. The UK has also contributed to programmes that have been active in responding to the impact of the hurricane in Haiti and Cuba. The World Food Programme has provided anticipatory cash transfers to 9,400 households in high-risk areas ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s landfall, and a $4 million Central Emergency Response Fund allocation was also released to support humanitarian efforts in response to Melissa’s impact. The UK has also supported specific technical expertise to the response.
Alongside our humanitarian response, the UK consular operation has been significant. With the UK’s strong links to Jamaica, many British nationals and UK residents were in the country during Hurricane Melissa. The FCDO provided consular support to over 2,000 British nationals in Jamaica, including by organising a charter flight, closely liaising with airlines and providing tailored support to vulnerable individuals.
Throughout my visit to Jamaica, I was reminded of the deep and enduring bonds between the UK and the Caribbean; every map I saw contained links to every part of the UK. These relationships need to mean something in times of crisis. I pay tribute to all those I have met across Government, NGOs and local communities who continue to work tirelessly to ensure that assistance reaches those most in need. I am proud to say—and to have seen for myself—that the UK stands by Jamaica’s side in its hour of need.
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