UN agencies call for urgent donor support for Jamaica

WASHINGTON, CMC – The Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) on Wednesday issued a donor alert to mobilise critical resources for the health response following Hurricane Melissa, which has left a trail of destruction across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

The alert, now available online, outlines the most pressing health needs and the funding required to address them over the next six months in Jamaica.

The hurricane has claimed more than 50 lives and displaced over one million people across the Caribbean. Jamaica has been particularly hard-hit, with 2.8 million people exposed to destructive winds and flooding.

As of Monday, the country recorded 32 death, 94 injuries treated, and over 7,000 people remain in shelters. Five major hospitals are severely damaged in Western and Southern regions of the country.

Seventy water supplies were inoperable due to high turbidity and electrical outages. Forty per cent of the facilities island-wide still have power instability further complicating recovery efforts.

The agencies said initial health assessments reveal a dire situation in Jamaica. The continuity of essential health services is under severe strain, especially for vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions. Infrastructure damage and service disruptions have made access to care extremely difficult.

Mental health needs are also emerging as a critical concern. Communities are grappling with trauma and loss, and the demand for psychological support and community-based interventions is growing rapidly, the agencies said.

They report that the risk of disease outbreaks is substantial. Flooding, sanitation breakdowns, and widespread displacement have created conditions ripe for the spread of waterborne, food-borne, mosquito-borne, and respiratory illnesses, particularly in shelters where overcrowding heightens transmission risks.

At the same time, logistical challenges continue to hinder access to affected communities, delaying damage assessments and the delivery of life-saving supplies.

To respond effectively, PAHO/WHO said they are seeking US$14.2 million in donor support, adding that this funding will help restore health care delivery, intensify disease surveillance, ensure safe water and sanitation, and improve coordination of humanitarian assistance.

The largest portion—US$10.2 million—is earmarked to support the continuity of essential care delivery, including critical mental health support, and restore the capacity of damaged health services.

The two UN agencies said they have already activated emergency procedures and contingency plans. Twelve international experts have been deployed to Jamaica to support infrastructure damage assessment, environmental health, mental health and psychosocial assistance, emergency medical teams, logistics, and coordination.

Daily collaboration is under way with the national Health Emergency Operations Center, the United Nations Country Team and other humanitarian partners.

PAHO/WHO is also leading health sector coordination and participating in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) efforts, while mobilising medical supplies from its regional reserves in Panama and Barbados.

They said additional resources are urgently needed to scale up and sustain critical health response operations on the ground to protect the lives and health of affected populations.

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