UN Launches Sea-Lift as Hurricane Melissa Hits Jamaica

WFP staff support logistics efforts for the emergency response in Jamaica.

As Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, UN agencies are mobilising supplies to support affected communities, with one senior official on the island describing government-led preparations as “extraordinary.”

Latest reports indicate wind speeds have reached 165 mph (270 km/h), while storm surges of up to 13 feet (3.9 metres) are expected to batter the Caribbean island nation.

Conditions are forecast to worsen significantly, with one-third of the island already experiencing power cuts amid what US hurricane forecasters have described as “an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) is coordinating a sea-lift operation from Barbados, carrying essential supplies from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and WFP itself.

“Some 2,000 relief kits are also planned for deployment once airports reopen and weather conditions permit flights,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

In collaboration with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and a joint aid hub established in Barbados, WFP is playing an “instrumental” role in the ongoing disaster response, with support from the European Union and Canada, Mr. Dujarric added.

UN Ramps Up Relief Efforts

The slow-moving hurricane is expected to make landfall overnight local time in Cuba to the northeast, with authorities planning to evacuate around half a million people to safer ground.

In Haiti, authorities have placed the departments of South and Grand’Anse on red alert, while other areas remain on orange alert.

“More than 3,600 people are sheltering in emergency sites in the Grand Sud département, with IOM supporting 3,000 people preventively and setting up 100 shelters,” said Mr. Dujarric.

The UN and its partners continue to work closely with Haitian authorities to support preparedness and early action.

Here is what UN agencies have lined up so far:

WFP has pre-positioned more than 800 metric tons of food to assist 86,000 people in Haiti for two weeks.

UNICEF has pre-positioned water, sanitation, and hygiene kits for about 14,500 people and nutritional supplies for more than 4,000 children.

UNFPA has stocked reproductive health kits for 5,000 people and dignity kits for 4,000 people.

PAHO, led by WHO, has provided medical kits for about 11,000 people.

‘Tremendous Winds’

The latest forecasts indicate winds reaching 280 km/h — stronger than initially expected, according to UNESCO Representative in Jamaica, Eric Falt.

“People often overlook the storm surge,” he said, “which can raise sea levels by three or four metres.”

He also noted that Hurricane Melissa’s slow movement poses a major challenge. “It could stay over an area for 12 hours, maybe even two days or more, which causes massive water accumulation.”

Emphasising the Jamaican Government’s “extraordinary” level of preparedness and the strong sense of regional solidarity, the UNESCO representative noted that despite the UN’s extensive readiness efforts, “nature ultimately dictates her will.”

He added that UN agencies continue to work closely together to respond to the evolving situation.