STAMFORD – An Americares emergency response team was among the first international relief organizations on the ground in Jamaica responding to Hurricane Melissa when they arrived in Kingston Thursday.
The Category 5 storm – the strongest on record in Jamaica – brought torrential rains and damaging winds up to 185 mph that caused widespread destruction and catastrophic flooding when it made landfall on Tuesday, before continuing its path of destruction in Cuba. In Haiti, Melissa was a slow-moving tropical storm that caused massive flooding and landslides in the southern part of the country.
The Americares emergency response experts was one of the first flights arriving in Jamaica since the airport in Kingston reopened. The team will focus on restoring health services in storm-damaged communities, including areas cut off by downed trees and floodwater.
They are ready to coordinate deliveries of medicines and relief supplies in affected communities, as well as provide emergency funding to help health facilities reopen. In addition, an Americares emergency medical team in the U.S. is on standby, ready to deploy to Jamaica to provide primary care and mental support, if needed.
In Haiti, Americares staff has been activated to provide medicines and medical supplies to partner health facilities in storm-damaged communities.
“The destruction from Hurricane Melissa is enormous, and the health needs are immense, with hospitals damaged and health facilities flooded,” said Americares Director of Emergency Response Mariel Fonteyn. “It’s going to take years to recover from a storm of this magnitude. Americares is ready to meet the health needs of hurricane survivors now and in the months ahead.”
In Jamaica, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency reports, more than a half a million people were without power and 25,000 people were in shelters one day after the hurricane. Three major hospitals sustained severe damage, including two forced to evacuate patients, according to the Pan American Health Organization.
Ahead of landfall, Americares reached out to partner organizations in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic to offer assistance. Americares is also working in coordination with the Jamaican government, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Pan American Health Organization.
Donations to Americares Hurricane Fund will support its response to the storm. To donate, go to americares.org/HurricaneRelief
Americares responds to more than 35 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings preparedness programs to communities vulnerable to disasters. Since its founding more than 45 years ago, Americares has provided more than $24 billion in aid to 164 countries, including the United States.
