- Immediate financial support package of £2.5 million provided
by UK Government to support Jamaica as hurricane Melissa
continues through the island.
- UK relief supplies and technical
experts deployed to assist with disaster
response and recovery.
- FCDO's humanitarian support comes as one of the most
severe storms in Caribbean history crosses the region.
The UK Government is mobilising £2.5m in emergency
humanitarian funding to support the Caribbean region's recovery
from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
This funding will support a rapid humanitarian response,
including the delivery of emergency supplies such as shelter
kits, water filters, and blankets, to help prevent injury, and
disease outbreaks.
These emergency relief supplies have already been prepositioned
in Antigua to ensure they can be rapidly deployed to where
they are needed most. UK humanitarian and technical
experts are also being deployed to the
region to assist with the coordination and
delivery of aid.
Foreign Secretary said:
The UK is acting swiftly to support the Jamaican
authorities in providing disaster relief and expertise in
response to this terrible storm.
Specialist rapid deployment teams have also been
positioned in the region to provide
consular assistance round the clock to British
nationals affected by the devastation of Hurricane
Melissa.”
Meanwhile, Royal Navy ship HMS Trent is providing a maritime
presence in the region to offer disaster response support,
if required. The UK Ministry of Defence has also
pre-deployed a team to the Turks and Caicos Islands to support
all phases of disaster management
preparations, response and recovery.
A specialist FCDO Rapid Deployment Team has also
travelled to Miami, ready to provide
consular assistance to affected British nationals.
These teams include specially trained consular staff members
equipped to handle emergency situations, provide immediate
logistical support, and liaise with local authorities to ensure
British nationals receive the necessary assistance. British
nationals in Jamaica should continue to register their
presence to receive updates from the FCDO.
The UK is working with tour operators, the Jamaican
authorities and
its international partners, including the
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC), and UN agencies, to ensure humanitarian
assistance is delivered to affected areas and meets the
immediate needs of the most vulnerable.
Notes to Editors