Storm-battered communities in western Jamaica were in critical condition on Sunday, days after the catastrophic Hurricane Melissa tore through the island, leaving massive destruction and raising the death toll to at least 28.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed the updated figure — nine more than previously reported — in a post on X late Saturday, noting that additional suspected fatalities were still being verified.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall last Tuesday as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 miles (300 km) per hour, becoming the most powerful hurricane to hit Jamaica in nearly 90 years. The storm carved a deadly path across the Caribbean, claiming at least 31 lives in Haiti — including 10 children who drowned in severe flooding — and devastating parts of Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
In Jamaica, the worst damage was concentrated in western parishes such as Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth. AFP journalists reported scenes of widespread ruin: flattened homes, collapsed buildings, twisted metal roofing scattered across communities, downed power lines, and trees stripped bare.
Many areas remained unreachable, with extensive damage to homes, hospitals, businesses, and public infrastructure. Large sections of the island were still without electricity and telecommunications, hindering efforts to determine the full extent of casualties and the scale of ongoing search-and-rescue operations.
A senior UN official warned Sunday that the economic impact would be staggering. Nahuel Arenas, who heads the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in the Americas and the Caribbean, said Melissa’s destruction could amount to losses equivalent to Jamaica’s entire annual GDP — nearly $20 billion as of 2024.
“These losses will weigh heavily on Jamaicans for many years,” Arenas cautioned.
In response, the World Health Organisation and other international groups have deployed medical teams, while the United States has sent emergency response units. UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the need for significant global support and called for the mobilisation of major resources to address the scale of loss and damage.
The United Nations has also released $4 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to bolster humanitarian efforts in Jamaica.
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