Around 1.5 million Jamaicans have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa — the worst climate disaster in the nation’s history — according to the top UN development official in the Caribbean.
Kishan Khoday, Resident Representative for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York that initial damage assessments point to losses equal to 30 percent of Jamaica’s Gross Domestic Product, “a figure that’s expected to rise.”
UNDP estimates that nearly five million metric tonnes of debris were generated across western Jamaica after the Category 5 storm made landfall last week — roughly 500,000 standard truckloads.
Authorities have confirmed 32 deaths so far, while nearly 36,000 people urgently require food assistance and more than 100,000 homes have been affected, said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq. At least 30 communities remain cut off, and electricity, telecommunications, and even radio signals are still severely disrupted in several parishes.
Khoday shared the story of Keith, a resident of New Hope in western Jamaica, who took shelter behind plywood as the hurricane struck. When he emerged, his home and livelihood were gone. “His experience underscores the harsh realities of the climate emergency,” Khoday said, “but also the resilience of Jamaicans as they rebuild.”
More than 60 organizations have joined the 16-member UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team (UNDAC), operating under the direction of Jamaican authorities. UNDP has allocated an initial $400,000 to support assessments and early recovery work, while the World Food Programme (WFP) is airlifting food from Barbados to assist more than 6,000 households for up to a week.
In neighboring Cuba, which also sustained major damage along with Haiti, about 120,000 people remain in shelters amid flooding and landslides. The UN reports that 29 communities there remain isolated, with over 45,000 homes, nearly 500 health facilities, and some 1,500 educational centers damaged.
