Jamaica is shifting its Hurricane Melissa relief efforts from traditional food distributions to a cash-based assistance model, giving affected families more control over how they meet their immediate needs. The move is aimed at restoring dignity and flexibility for households as they recover from the devastation of last October’s Category 5 storm.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness previously said that the move is to ensure the dignity of Jamaicans is protected even during hurricane recovery.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday, Minister of Labour and Social Security Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. said the Government continues to work closely with international partners, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, to deliver support. “Recovery is not only about receiving food but also about giving the families the dignity and the flexibility to meet their immediate needs as they work to restore normal life,” he said.
The WFP, which completed its in-kind food distribution by delivering roughly 98,000 food kits, is now providing cash support to approximately 16,000 households—about 50,000 individuals—through two cycles of $34,000 grants. Beneficiaries are selected using the Ministry’s assessment list, targeting senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and families most in need, with payments delivered through national remittance networks.
World Central Kitchen also played a major role in immediate relief, providing nearly six million meals to around 130,000 people in the hardest-hit parishes.
UNICEF is supporting the Government in strengthening shock-responsive social protection systems, with a focus on children and vulnerable households.
“The initiative aims to reach 40,000 children, including children who are on PATH (Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education) or in PATH households, with specific focus on those households that have pregnant and lactating women, children under six, and children with disabilities, along with expanding the coverage to an additional 1,000 children in the disaster-affected households,” Mr. Charles Jr. outlined.
UNICEF is also helping to build a faster, fairer, and more transparent disaster response system, including measures to ensure disability inclusion through the I Am Able JCPD app.
To ensure accountability, the Government has implemented monitoring and feedback systems at community and redemption sites. The shift to cash-based support signals a new phase in Jamaica’s recovery efforts, putting more decision-making power directly in the hands of survivors as they rebuild their lives.
