The United Nations (UN) has announced an initial allocation of US$2.5 million in emergency funds to the Jamaican government to aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
UN official Dennis Zulu outlined the planned use of these funds during a virtual news conference on Friday.
Zulu, the UN Resident Coordinator for Jamaica, The Bahamas, Bermuda, The Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, emphasized the UN’s readiness to support Jamaica. “We are happy to know that the government is very receptive to UN support and goodwill,” he stated.
Zulu explained that the funds would focus on cash transfers and housing assistance for those most affected. “Some of what we are looking at is getting some of the money out there in terms of income support because some of the people who have been affected have lost livelihoods,” he said.
“We are really looking towards supporting them in terms of some cash transfers, definitely shelter is one thing we are looking at because some of their buildings and houses have been destroyed, and ensuring the provision of clean drinking water so we don’t have an outbreak of disease.”
The UN is also considering support for communication infrastructure. “We are supporting the government to get its systems back in place as quickly as possible,” Zulu added, highlighting the ongoing efforts to build resilience to climate change in Jamaica.
A variety of aid to be provided
Praising the Jamaican government’s responsiveness, Zulu remarked, “Jamaica is obviously very central to the region’s economy, and the UN is poised to complement the work of the government to accelerate Jamaica’s ability to be back on its own feet.”
Zulu detailed the UN’s coordinated response, which includes activating an emergency task team to advise on protection, water sanitation, hygiene, education, shelters, logistics, health and nutrition, and early recovery for security and telecommunications.
The UN is working closely with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, which is the regional emergency and disaster response agency to ensure a coherent emergency response. “We are therefore poised to mount a coordinated response with the international development partner community and we are already engaging international partners in Jamaica and international NGOs and we hope that this will be finalized in the coming few days,” Zulu said further.
While the full cost of the disaster is still being assessed, the damage is evident across various sectors, particularly in the southern parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, and St Elizabeth. The Jamaican government continues to evaluate the impact, with a focus on providing immediate relief to those most affected.
 has announced an initial allocation of US$2.5 million in emergency funds to Jamaican following Hurricane Beryl.){kind=link}