Hurricane Melissa Devastates Jamaica; Death Toll Near 50

Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a record‑breaking Category 5 storm, leaving at least 19 confirmed dead on the island and contributing to a regional toll near 50 that officials expect to rise as search teams reach ground‑zero communities such as Black River and Middle Quarters. The storm caused catastrophic flooding and infrastructure damage—widespread power outages, blocked roads, compromised hospitals (including pediatric wards), and damage to airports and resorts—leaving large swaths inaccessible and creating urgent humanitarian needs for food, water, medicines and medical evacuations. UNICEF estimates more than 700,000 children have been affected regionwide, and authorities warn of heightened disease‑outbreak risks while relief access remains constrained. The government has activated a multi‑agency recovery effort, including a Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force, a Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee (“Tourism Cares”), new Cabinet relief and recovery subcommittees and a private‑sector coordination group, with the tourism ministry targeting full sector recovery by December 15. International aid (including UK funding, cargo flights, helicopters and UN/UNICEF support) is being mobilized, and preliminary economic‑loss estimates have widened sharply, with analysts placing Caribbean damages in the roughly $48–52 billion range; Jamaica’s prior resilience measures such as MCR2030 participation and catastrophe bonds could help finance recovery.