The international disaster relief agency ShelterBox USA is responding to Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic after it caused catastrophic damage across Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean last week.
The Category Five storm, sustained winds of more than 180 mph, destroyed homes, triggered flooding and landslides, and displaced thousands of families. According to the United Nations, nearly 240 communities remain cut off due to flooding and damaged roads.
Santa Barbara-based ShelterBox said it has deployed an emergency response team to Jamaica, and their first shipment of emergency shelter arrived over the weekend, according to the organization’s president, Kerri Murray.
“Our goal right now is to support at least 5,000 people from the initial shipment,” said Murray. “We pre-positioned aid in Barbados, and that aid was on a vessel that went out late last week and arrived this weekend in Jamaica.”
ShelterBox’s supplies include tents, blankets, mosquito nets, water filters, and solar lights.
Murray said aid cached in Barbados and Panama would allow ShelterBox to respond quickly despite communication breakdowns, flooded roads, and damaged infrastructure.
“If we have basic tools and water filters, these are a lifeline for families when they’ve lost everything in an instant,” Murray said. “Having the aid in the region means we’re ready to go and can respond more effectively.”
More information and ways to donate are available at shelterboxusa.org.
