Chris Elmore | The UK stands with Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa

My visit to Jamaica this week comes just over a month after Hurricane Melissa – the strongest storm ever recorded here – swept across the island, leaving devastation in its wake.

I will be visiting the western parishes that bore the brunt of the impact, to meet families still in urgent need of water, food, and shelter, and to see first-hand the relief efforts underway.

For us in the United Kingdom, this tragedy resonates deeply. With 800,000 Jamaicans living in cities such as London, Birmingham, and Bristol, and thousands of British tourists on the island at the time of the storm, we have shared in your grief as homes, livelihoods, and infrastructure were lost in mere hours. Yet, amid the destruction, the strength and resilience of the Jamaican people continue to inspire us. The UK remains a steadfast partner - not only in the immediate response but also in long-term recovery and preparation for the future.

FACING FRONTLINE OF CLIMATE CHALLENGE

Jamaica knows all too well the reality of being a small island state on the frontline of climate change. Just last year, Hurricane Beryl – the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic – struck the island. Now, Melissa has inflicted even greater damage. Early estimates put the cost of physical damage at US$8.8 billion – over 40 per cent of Jamaica’s GDP. No country can or should bear such a burden alone.

We made sure that the UK acted swiftly. Within days, we mobilised £7.5 million (US$9.6 million) in emergency humanitarian funding to support lifesaving actions. It has delivered shelter kits, solar lamps, and hygiene supplies to nearly 33,000 vulnerable1 people and working with trusted partners - including CDEMA, the World Food Programme, UNICEF, PAHO, and the Red Cross – we continue to help the worst-affected communities and families in shelters. We are also matching up to £1 million of UK public donations through the Red Cross appeal for Jamaica.

I was pleased to see engineers and the crew of the Royal Navy’s HMS Trent and members of the UK Health Services Authority working alongside Caribbean agencies. Together, they provided urgent health services, restored electricity to communities, and began clearing debris. Our work continues: UK-Med is now delivering primary health care in three communities in Trelawny parish, and last week, 70 additional medical staff from across the region arrived to operate the Barbados-donated emergency field hospital for Cornwall Regional Hospital. Fifty-one specialist energy sector personnel, supported by the UK, have also been deployed to restore the grid.

LONG-TERM, INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP

Jamaica has shown global leadership in climate and disaster risk management - delivering real results that were evident during this disaster. From pre-arranged disaster finance to climate-smart agriculture and resilient health facilities, the UK has been proud to stand alongside Jamaica in pioneering these solutions.

Thanks to the vision of leaders in the Jamaican government - and technical expertise provided by the UK and other partners - Jamaica’s layered disaster risk financing is expected to mobilise up to US$1.1 billion through reserves, contingent credit, insurance, and catastrophe bonds.

BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR THE FUTURE

Our longstanding partnership has strengthened Jamaica’s resilience, and I hope to see our joint work continue to help the country to rebuild even stronger. Initiatives like the Smart Hospitals Resilience Programme ensured that facilities such as the Santa Cruz Health Centre and the Mandeville Comprehensive Health Centre remained operational during Melissa – thanks to hurricane-rated windows, reinforced roofs, and backup energy and water systems.

Similarly, the resilient design of the Jamaica Agricultural Infrastructure Project under the UK-Caribbean Infrastructure Facility prevented severe damage, ensuring water and irrigation systems continued to function and supporting food security.

Over the last decade, Jamaica has built a global reputation for macroeconomic stability, with debt falling from 124 per cent of GDP in 2012 to just 62.4 per cent at the end of FY 2024/25. These strong economic fundamentals provide Jamaica with a solid foundation to respond and rebuild. In the UK, we are glad to have been a trusted partner in this journey.

Looking ahead, our partnership to operationalise the Blue-Green Financing Facility and Climate Finance Unit – which will mobilise up to US$500 million over the next five years to address vulnerabilities in Jamaica’s water, energy, and transport networks – will be a crucial contribution to strong recovery.

SHARED HISTORY, SHARED FUTURE

Our cultural and historical ties run deep. These bonds strengthen our resolve to work together to ensure a safer, stronger future for Jamaica. As we respond to this crisis and look ahead to the challenges of climate change, the UK remains committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with Jamaica-today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

Chris Elmore is UK’s parliamentary under-secretary of state – multilateral, human rights, Latin America and the Caribbean. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com