UK Pledges £2.5 Million in Emergency Aid to Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa

The United Kingdom will provide £2.5 million ($2.8 million) in emergency assistance to Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm to hit the island in nearly a century, the Foreign Office announced Wednesday.

The funds will be used to supply emergency kits, including temporary shelters, water filters, and blankets, the ministry said. A crisis center was activated Tuesday to assist British nationals affected by the storm.

Humanitarian staff and technical experts—such as doctors and engineers—have also been deployed to coordinate relief efforts and ensure aid reaches affected communities as quickly as possible, the statement added.

Jamaica, a former British colony that gained independence in 1962, was struck hard by Hurricane Melissa, which also caused “considerable damage” in Cuba, displacing more than 700,000 people.