The United Nations (UN) is mounting a sea-lift operation to deliver emergency aid as Hurricane Melissa slams into Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, bringing wind speeds of 165 mph and storm surges up to 13 feet, UN News reported. US forecasters are calling conditions “extremely dangerous and life-threatening,” with a third of the island already experiencing power cuts and conditions expected to worsen. One senior UN official on the ground told UN News that government-led preparations have been “extraordinary.”
The World Food Programme is coordinating the sea-lift from Barbados, carrying supplies from the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, and WFP. About 2,000 relief kits are ready to deploy once airports reopen and weather permits flights, said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. WFP is working with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and a joint aid hub in Barbados, with support from the European Union and Canada.
The slow-moving hurricane is expected to hit Cuba overnight, with authorities planning to evacuate around half a million people. In Haiti, the South and Grand’Anse departments are on red alert, while other areas remain on orange alert. More than 3,600 people are sheltering in emergency sites in Grand Sud, with IOM helping shelter 3,000 people and setting up 100 shelters.
UN agencies have pre-positioned supplies across the region. WFP has more than 800 metric tons of food to help 86,000 people in Haiti for two weeks. UNICEF has water, sanitation, and hygiene kits for about 14,500 people plus nutritional supplies for over 4,000 children. UNFPA has reproductive health kits for 5,000 people and dignity kits for 4,000. PAHO has provided medical kits for roughly 11,000 people.
Latest forecasts show winds reaching 280 km per hour—stronger than initially expected, according to the UNESCO Representative in Jamaica.
