UK to provide extra £5m to aid recovery from Hurricane Melissa

The UK will provide an additional £5 million in emergency humanitarian funding to support the Caribbean region’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa, the Government announced.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the additional funding follows the £2.5 million support package announced earlier this week.

The money will be put towards sending humanitarian supplies to help those whose homes have been damaged and those without power, including more than 3,000 shelter kits and 1,500 solar-powered lanterns.

Some of the funding will also be used to match public donations up to £1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ appeal in support of Jamaica.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement: “More information is now coming through on the scale of devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, with homes damaged, roads blocked and lives lost.

“That is why the UK Government is now increasing our funding for humanitarian support to ensure we can get shelter kits, solar lamps and sanitation products to those who need it most.

“We will also use some of that funding to match public donations to the Red Cross appeal in support of Jamaica.”

The FCDO has urged all British nationals in Jamaica to register their presence and use commercial flights as their first port of call to leave the country in the wake of the storm, which officials say has left at least 19 people dead.

A specialist Rapid Deployment Team has arrived in Jamaica to provide consular assistance to affected British nationals, while Foreign Office teams are preparing flights to support British nationals who are unable to fly home commercially.

Seat costs for the flights will be based on standard commercial fares, the FCDO said, adding that it will prioritise the most vulnerable such as people with medical needs and children.

British nationals and their immediate family members – a partner, spouse or children under 18 years old – are eligible.

Windrush generations with indefinite leave to remain in the UK also qualify for the service.

Melissa came ashore in Jamaica as a category five hurricane on Tuesday, carrying top winds of 185mph.

Jamaican officials said more than 13,000 people remained crowded into shelters, with 72% of the island without power and only 35% of mobile phone sites in operation.

Authorities said the death toll in Haiti, where Melissa caused catastrophic flooding, has risen to at least 30, with 20 others missing and 15,000 in shelters.