UN launches US$1.4 million hurricane relief cash programme in Jamaica

The Beryl Cash Assistance Programme targets 11,500 people whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Beryl in early July. The programme will provide USD$ 1.4 million (JMD$ 220 million) in relief and support to families in their recovery, ensuring access to food, water and other essential needs. Families with children, elderly people and persons with disabilities will be prioritized.

“WFP is committed to its partnership with the Government of Jamaica to support people impacted by Hurricane Beryl. We are happy to know that this cash assistance will help families to meet their most essential needs and rebuild their lives,” said Brian Bogart, Country Director of the WFP Caribbean Multi-Country Office.

Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season and the strongest July hurricane on record, made landfall in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, leaving widespread devastation in its path, before moving westwards across the Caribbean and hitting Jamaica.

Participants will receive their cash assistance through money transfer services over two months. The amount they receive will depend on the household size. For instance, one to two persons will receive US$120 (JMD $20,000) per month; three to five persons will receive US$240 (JMD $36,000) per month, and six to more persons will receive US$340 (JMD $50,000) per month.

“I am deeply grateful for the swift and generous support from the World Food Programme in providing cash transfers to Jamaicans affected by Hurricane Beryl. This timely assistance will be instrumental in helping our communities recover and rebuild,” said Minister Pearnel Charles Jr., Minister of Labour and Social Security. “Partnerships like these are essential in ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the support they need during times of crisis. Through the Rebuild Jamaica initiative, the strong collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and WFP is a testament to our shared commitment to the well-being of our people.”

In the wake of Beryl’s impact on Jamaica, WFP provided emergency generators to the Government to address widespread power outages, deployed the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster or ETC –a global network of organizations that provide emergency communications services—to re-establish internet connectivity in the worst affected areas, and provided emergency logistics.

The Beryl Cash Assistance Programme is made possible through the generous support of the Government of Canada, the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), UK Aid from the UK Government and USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).

In addition, as part of the Canada-CARICOM Climate Adaptation Fund, Jamaica has increased its Excess Rainfall and Tropical Cyclone insurance policies with the Catastrophic Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC). WFP is helping the government to implement additional cash transfer programmes for people using a portion of the payouts from those policies.