A UK government-chartered flight carrying British nationals evacuated from Jamaica after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa is due to arrive at London’s Gatwick Airport on Sunday.
The evacuation follows the UK’s deployment of aid as part of a £7.5 million regional emergency package to assist countries hit by the category five hurricane, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Caribbean.
For the total package, £1 million will be used to match public donations to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, with King Charles and Queen Camilla among those who have contributed.
Despite the arrival of aid, blocked roads and widespread power outages have hampered relief efforts across Jamaica, where at least 19 people have been confirmed dead.
The storm, which struck on Tuesday, flattened communities, triggered landslides, and left nearly three-quarters of the island without electricity.
Around 6,000 people remain in emergency shelters.
Jamaica’s Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, said several hospitals had sustained “significant damage,” including Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth, which must now relocate its services. Hospitals are facing an influx of trauma cases and shortages of fuel and clean water.
At least 30 people have been killed in Haiti and others in Cuba as Melissa swept across the region.
Relief convoys and airlifts are now reaching some of Jamaica’s worst-hit areas, with authorities pledging more assistance in the coming days.
