Jamaica strengthens hurricane response
Jamaica’s Ministry of Health, with PAHO support, launched an After Action Review following Hurricane Melissa to shore up emergency‑response gaps and improve preparedness—an operational step toward system resilience. The review highlights cross‑agency learning after climate‑driven disasters. (news.ssbcrack.com)
The Ministry’s health-sector After‑Action Review began with a two‑day session that opened on March 24, 2026 at the Moon Palace Hotel in Ocho Rios and included Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services director Dr. Nicole Dawkins‑Wright, ODPEM Director General Commander Alvin Gayle, and PAHO/WHO Representative Ian Stein. (jis.gov.jm) PAHO’s February 2 Q&A noted Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025 as a Category‑5 storm and reported the health system was still recovering three months later, providing the backdrop for the AAR’s focus on sustained system resilience. (paho.org) A separate, regional three‑day AAR led by CDEMA brought together disaster officials, UN agencies, security forces, civil society and development partners, and flagged logistics, staffing shortfalls, and mismatches between relief supplies and actual needs as priority gaps to address. (jamaica-gleaner.com) PAHO documented rapid deployment of mental‑health and psychosocial support through the National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Working Group in early December 2025, signalling mental‑health response as an explicit component being reviewed. (paho.org) Humanitarian and health partners report the scale of the crisis: UN OCHA estimated 1.5–1.6 million people in Jamaica were affected and at least 32 deaths in early reports, while a UNICEF sitrep on January 9, 2026 recorded 45 confirmed deaths, 11 missing and detailed targeted relief figures such as 53,000 people reached with safe water. (unocha.org) Findings from the health AAR will feed into regional coordination and planning, with CDEMA stating that outcomes will be presented at its Technical Advisory Committee meeting in April to inform revisions to the Regional Response Mechanism. (jamaica-gleaner.com) International partners continue on‑the‑ground support tied to AAR priorities, including Direct Relief’s reported $11.5 million in medical aid deliveries to Caribbean nations and ongoing coordination with Jamaica’s Ministry of Health to prioritise facility recovery. (directrelief.org)
