Americares is responding to Hurricane Melissa — the strongest storm on record to hit Jamaica. The Category 5 storm made landfall in Jamaica Oct. 28 with sustained winds of 185 mph, bringing catastrophic flooding, landslides and life-threatening storm surges.
In Jamaica, the powerful storm caused widespread destruction, destroying homes, damaging health facilities and cutting off roads, limiting access to essential health services in the hardest hit communities. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, more than half a million people were without power, about 30,000 people were displaced and 6,000 people were staying in shelters. The storm disrupted operations at health facilities across the island and forced hospitals to evacuate patients. The storm disrupted operations at health facilities across the island and forced hospitals to evacuate patients. Dozens of hospitals and health centers were damaged in the storm, including major hospitals.
“The needs are immense,” said Americares Director of Emergency Response Mariel Fonteyn. “We are working alongside local and national organizations to provide what’s needed to restore access to health services and meet the health needs of survivors.”
After Jamaica, the powerful storm went to Cuba where it made landfall Oct. 29 as a Category 3 hurricane before heading toward Bermuda. In Haiti, Melissa was a slow-moving tropical storm that caused massive flooding and landslides in the southern part of the country. Throughout the Caribbean, dozens of deaths have been reported in the aftermath of the storm.
An Americares emergency response team is on the ground in Jamaica, providing assistance at damaged hospitals and health centers in the hardest hit areas.
Americares response includes an emergency medical team that will help meet the immediate physical and mental health needs of survivors. The 16-person team, including physicians, nurses and mental health professionals, will operate for at least six weeks, providing free primary care services and mental health support to storm survivors in Chester Castle, Jamaica, about 25 miles from where Melissa made landfall. The team’s services will include chronic disease management and treatment for urgent conditions, including infections and injuries. The Americares medical team is certified by the World Health Organization as an Emergency Medical Team Type 1 Mobile provider, indicating Americares has met the highest standards for health care providers responding to emergencies.
Americares is also funding repairs to damaged health facilities and working to provide clean water and hygiene products in hurricane-affected communities. At Falmouth Hospital, which lost more than half of its roof and sustained severe flooding, Americares is supporting the Pan American Health Organization’s clean-up of the facility by funding cleaning supplies and equipment.
With missing or damaged roofs and significant water damage, hospitals need everything from beds and scrubs to medicine, medical equipment and supplies to replace what was lost in the hurricane. Facilities that escaped major damage have seen an increase in patients as survivors travel to seek care if their nearest health center closed.
The Americares response team arrived Oct. 30 and immediately began assessing needs at hospitals and health centers and working with the government and regional authorities to coordinate assistance. “Staff said Americares was the first aid organization to offer help,” Fonteyn said. “We were among the first disaster relief organizations on the ground in Jamaica and we will stay as long as we are needed.”
Doctors and nurses at Black River Hospital told Americares responders they are caring for their community while living out of their cars. Black River Hospital is the only hospital serving St. Elizabeth and the neighboring parishes where Hurricane Melissa made landfall. At another hospital, staff who had lost homes were sheltering at the facility when possible. Mental health needs among staff are significant, hospital leaders tell Americares responders.
In Haiti, Americares staff has been activated to provide medicines and medical supplies to partner health facilities in storm-damaged communities. Americares has offered assistance to partner organizations in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic as well as Haiti and Jamaica.
Americares is coordinating our response with the Jamaican government, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Pan American Health Organization. In Haiti and Jamaica, Americares has longstanding partnerships with organizations providing essential health services.
