Jamaica is in a state of emergency after the Category 5 storm made landfall yesterday as the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the country. With winds reaching 185 miles per hour, extreme storm surges and flash flooding, Hurricane Melissa ranks among the most destructive storms in Jamaica’s history. As of Wednesday morning, thousands of residents remain in emergency shelters, and hundreds of thousands are without power.
Initial assessments indicate catastrophic damage to infrastructure, including hospitals, bridges, highways and power lines, hindering rescue operations and limiting access to affected communities. At least four major hospitals—including Saint Elizabeth Hospital, a key facility we have supported since Hurricane Beryl—have sustained significant damage. Health needs are expected to be severe, as disruptions to medical services, water systems and electricity heighten the risk of injury, infectious disease outbreaks and other life-threatening conditions.
International Medical Corps’ rapid response team will arrive in Jamaica tomorrow and will immediately begin assessing the needs in the hardest-hit areas. In coordination with our local partners, we will distribute relief supplies—including hygiene, wound-care and first-aid kits—and determine where additional support is most urgently required. As the situation evolves, we are prepared to provide health services, rehabilitate damaged health facilities, distribute medical supplies, food and non-food items, and conduct training for frontline responders.
Your support can help bring urgently needed medical care and supplies to the people of Jamaica affected by Hurricane Melissa as they rebuild and recover from this disaster.
*Please note for recurring donations: Once we have determined that the community can continue to respond to the after-effects of this emergency without us, we will scale back our response efforts. At that time, we will redirect your future donations where they are needed most to help us respond to future outbreaks of conflict, disease or disaster.
