London, 30 October (H.S.): The United Kingdom government announced on Wednesday it will provide £2.5 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Jamaica after the island was ravaged by the catastrophic force of Hurricane Melissa.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed that along with the financial aid, UK relief supplies and technical experts have been deployed to assist in the disaster response. The funding is designated for emergency supplies such as shelter kits, water filters, and blankets.
During Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir Starmer described the scenes of destruction as truly shocking.
In addition, the naval vessel HMS Trent was pre-positioned in the region to provide support. King Charles issued a statement expressing that he and Queen Camilla were profoundly saddened to see the catastrophic damage.
Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm on Earth this year, made landfall on Jamaica's southern coast as a category three storm with maximum sustained winds of 295km/h (185mph). The impact has been severe, leading Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness to declare the island a disaster area.
Widespread power outages have affected three-quarters of the country, and significant flooding and damage to homes and businesses have been reported, particularly on the western side of the island.
Communication with the island remains difficult, causing distress for friends and family in the UK unable to contact the estimated 8,000 Britons currently in Jamaica. Some British tourists on the island recounted harrowing experiences, having to shelter in hotel rooms for hours.
A specialist FCDO team has been dispatched to Miami to offer consular assistance to affected British nationals.While the hurricane has cleared Jamaica and is now tracking towards the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center warns of continued risks from heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides across Jamaica's mountainous regions. The remnants of the storm are expected to reach the UK as a low-pressure system early next week.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
