UN allocates $2.5 million in emergency aid to Jamaica after Hurricane Beryl

The United Nations has announced an initial allocation of $2.5 million in emergency funds to the Government of Jamaica to help it recover from Hurricane Beryl.

UN official Dennis Zulu outlined the planned use of the funds during a virtual press conference on Friday.

Zulu, the UN Resident Coordinator for Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands, stressed that the UN stands ready to support Jamaica. “We are pleased to learn that the Government of Jamaica is very willing to accept the support and goodwill of the United Nations,” he said.

Zulu explained that the funds will be used primarily to provide cash transfers and housing assistance to those most affected. “We are looking at using some of the funds for income support because some of the people affected have lost their livelihoods,” he said.

“We do want to support them through cash transfers, one of which is housing because some of their buildings and houses have been destroyed, and also ensuring that clean drinking water is provided so that there is no outbreak of disease.”

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The UN is also considering support for communications infrastructure. “We are supporting the government to restore the system as quickly as possible,” Zulu added, highlighting Jamaica’s ongoing efforts to build resilience to climate change.

Various assistance will be provided

Zulu praised the Jamaican government’s responsiveness and said: “Jamaica is obviously critical to the region’s economy and the United Nations stands ready to work with the government to accelerate Jamaica’s ability to recover its economy.”

Zulu detailed the coordinated UN response, including the activation of an emergency task force to provide advice on protection, water sanitation, hygiene, education, shelter, logistics, health and nutrition, as well as early recovery in terms of security and telecommunications.

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The United Nations is working closely with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the regional emergency and disaster response agency, to ensure a coordinated emergency response. “So we are prepared to have a coordinated response with the international community of development partners and we have already engaged with international partners and international non-governmental organizations in Jamaica and we hope that this will be concluded in the next few days,” Zulu further stated.

While the damage from the disaster has yet to be assessed, it is already evident in various regions, particularly in the southern parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth. The Government of Jamaica is continuing to assess the impact, with a focus on providing immediate relief to those worst affected.