UK airlifts citizens from Jamaica, delivers Hurricane Melissa aid

(MENAFN) A UK-chartered flight carrying British nationals evacuated from Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa is scheduled to land at London’s Gatwick Airport on Sunday. The flight departed Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport on Saturday, arriving after the UK dispatched emergency relief as part of a $9.6 million regional support package.

Portions of the funds will match public donations up to $1.28 million for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, with King Charles and Queen Camilla among those contributing, according to reports.

Despite relief reaching Jamaica in recent days, blocked roads have slowed distribution in the wake of the hurricane, which made landfall on Tuesday as a category five storm—one of the strongest ever recorded in the Caribbean. The storm has caused widespread destruction, leaving at least 19 dead in Jamaica, 30 in Haiti, and additional casualties in Cuba from flooding and landslides.

Jamaica’s Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said on Friday, "there are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened."

At the time of the hurricane, roughly 8,000 British citizens were on the island. The UK Foreign Office urged nationals to register their presence and advised travelers to check with airlines for available commercial flights.

Initially, the UK allocated $3.2 million in immediate assistance, followed by an additional $6.4 million announced by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper as the scale of the destruction became clearer.

The British Red Cross stated that the King and Queen’s donation would support the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent’s vital work, which includes search and rescue operations in Jamaica, along with providing healthcare, safe shelter, and clean water.

According to reports, around 72% of Jamaicans remain without electricity, and about 6,000 people are in emergency shelters.

Aid distribution faces ongoing challenges, with a damaged electrical grid making generators crucial, while tarpaulins are needed to address widespread housing damage. Many residents, desperate for food and water, have been seen collecting supplies from supermarkets themselves. Fuel shortages have also led to long queues, with some people attempting to power generators or travel to contact others amidst the island-wide blackout.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton described "significant damage" at multiple hospitals on Saturday, noting that Black River Hospital in St Elizabeth suffered the worst impact. "That facility will have to be for now totally relocated in terms of services," he said. "The immediate challenge of the impacted hospitals is to preserve accident and emergency services."

Dr Tufton added, "What we're seeing is that a lot of people are coming in now to these facilities with trauma-related [injuries] from falls from the roof, to ladders, to nails penetrating their feet." Arrangements have been made to maintain daily supplies of fuel and water for medical facilities.

Blocked roads due to landslides, downed power lines, and fallen trees continue to hinder aid distribution, but relief is reaching the hardest-hit areas. On Saturday, the Global Empowerment Mission launched a seven-truck convoy from Kingston to Black River carrying volunteer-prepared humanitarian aid from the Jamaican diaspora in Florida. Additional support is being provided by other international aid groups and foreign governments via helicopters, though officials emphasize that much more assistance is still needed.

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