Jamaica’s disaster response system is under scrutiny after an audit revealed that only a small portion of the billions donated for Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts had been spent nearly four months after the storm struck the island.
A real-time audit report from the Auditor General’s Department, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, found that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) had received JMD$1.44 billion in donations by February 23, 2026, but spent just $26.2 million — or 1.8 percent — by that date.
The audit examined financial management and procurement under the Government’s Hurricane Melissa Relief Initiative and Roof Restoration Programme.
Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis said the findings exposed weaknesses in financial oversight, governance, procurement monitoring, and beneficiary verification.
“This audit found that weaknesses in financial management, governance, and programme accountability limited transparency over Hurricane Melissa relief resources,” Monroe Ellis said in the report’s foreword.
“Of $1.44 billion in cash donations received, only $26.2 million (1.8 per cent) had been spent as at February 23, 2026, alongside unreported and unspent Hurricane Beryl balances,” she added.
The report noted that ODPEM still held approximately JMD$569.6 million and US$5.9 million in hurricane donation accounts as of February 23, including leftover funds from Hurricane Beryl relief efforts in 2024.
According to the audit, ODPEM failed to provide information showing the total amount collected and spent after Hurricane Beryl, making it difficult to determine whether the remaining balances reflected ongoing projects or weaknesses in programme execution.
“The presence of significant unutilised balances from Hurricane Beryl prior to the commencement of Hurricane Melissa fund-raising further indicates weaknesses in the planning, monitoring, and utilisation of donated funds across disaster response cycles,” Monroe Ellis stated.
The report also raised concerns about donations processed through the Government’s Support Jamaica platform. Auditors found that a private financial institution retained 30 percent of donations for 45 days to cover possible refund claims, but ODPEM had no formal written agreement governing the arrangement.
More than JMD$15 million and US$298,429 reportedly remained withheld beyond the proposed transfer deadline, and auditors said they could not independently verify whether the funds were eventually deposited into ODPEM accounts because supporting bank statements were not provided.
Questions were also raised about the Government’s roof restoration programme, which ODPEM said repaired 421 roofs with assistance from the Jamaica Defence Force and a foreign military support team.
However, auditors said they could not properly verify the repairs because key records were incomplete or missing, including beneficiary selection criteria, approval documents, and completion reports.
“No documentation was provided to show the categorisation of the beneficiaries based on damage assessment with the appropriate evidence of damage to allow for audit trail from what existed before the repairs,” Monroe Ellis said.
The audit also revealed that of JMD$122.5 million in roofing supplies delivered to JDF locations, only $88.6 million was formally acknowledged as received.
“The remaining $34 million in roofing materials, representing 27.8 per cent of all materials delivered, was not supported by signed delivery slips or goods received notes (GRNs) countersigned by either ODPEM or a JDF representative, leaving these deliveries unverified and unacknowledged by the receiving party,” auditors found.
The report further highlighted concerns over emergency procurement practices, noting that three of four contracts for roofing materials were awarded to suppliers who lacked valid Public Procurement Commission registration certificates or current Tax Compliance Certificates at the time.
Auditors also flagged governance failures involving the National Disaster Fund, including the absence of required financial reports and the lack of a dedicated bank account.
“Continued non-compliance with the Disaster Risk Management Act, including no standalone audited NDF accounts, required reporting and a dedicated NDF bank account further weakens oversight,” the report warned.
The Auditor General’s Department said the ongoing audit was intended to strengthen accountability while recovery efforts continue. According to the report, 420 contracts valued at JMD$11.13 billion have so far been awarded in response to Hurricane Melissa, with additional audits still underway.
