Diaspora Volunteers Deliver Critical Aid to Jamaican Communities Hit by Hurricane Melissa

Members of Jamaica’s global diaspora are playing a decisive role in the country’s recovery following the widespread devastation left by Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island on October 28.

In the weeks since the Category 5 storm ripped through several western and central parishes, diaspora-backed relief missions have intensified, bringing essential items to communities still grappling with power outages, damaged homes, and water shortages.

A team of U.S.-based Jamaican professionals , including Dr. B. Roy Davidson, Dr. Laxley Stephenson, and Dr. Beverly Nichols , recently completed a multi-day humanitarian trip, distributing food, medical supplies, and power equipment to hundreds of affected families across Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, and parts of St. James.According to the team, the decision to act was immediate.

“Once we saw the projected path and the scale of the storm, we knew the aftermath would be severe,” one of the volunteers said. “People needed help right away, and we felt it was our duty to respond.”

During the visit, the group supplied two weeks’ worth of relief items to approximately 500 families, supported by contributions from U.S.-based charitable organizations. They also delivered dozens of generators to communities that have been without electricity since the hurricane made landfall.

In addition to the U.S. missions, support has been flowing in from Jamaican groups in Canada and the United Kingdom. Several organizations have shipped barrels of essential goods, while fundraising events including benefit concerts, continue to be staged in Toronto, London, and South Florida.

Local relief coordinators say the assistance is vital, especially as restoration efforts in the hardest-hit parishes remain slow. St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James, and Trelawny were among the areas that sustained extensive structural damage, though the capital, Kingston, was largely unaffected.

Government officials have confirmed that 45 people lost their lives during the storm, making Melissa one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit Jamaica in recent years.

As rebuilding continues, diaspora groups have pledged to maintain their support, with more shipments of food supplies, solar equipment, and recovery tools expected in the coming weeks.