Jamaica Red Cross Society Advances Resilient Recovery Strategy

Six months after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, the Jamaica Red Cross Society (JRCS) continues to assist in charting a resilient recovery pathway for residents in western Jamaica.

While it has been active on the ground since the passage of the hurricane, the JRCS officially launched its comprehensive Hurricane Melissa Recovery Strategy at its Hurricane Melissa Recovery Conference, held at the S Hotel in Kingston on Tuesday (April 21).

The strategy is aligned with the Government’s national recovery agenda, ensuring that the Society’s work contributes to a unified forward-looking national response in the aftermath of the category-five system.

While reflecting on the hurricane, JRCS President, Allasandra Chung, noted that it was not just a weather event but a national turning point that exposed the depth of Jamaica’s vulnerabilities and revealed the strength of its people.

“Six months on, the immediate shock has passed, but the risk now is more insidious. Without decisive and coordinated action, temporary setbacks can harden into long-term vulnerability,” she said.

Ms. Chung noted that it is within this context that the JRCS advances its Hurricane Melissa recovery strategy, structured around five interconnected pillars – community resilience, safer shelter, the restoration of livelihoods, health and psychosocial support, and hygiene promotion.

The President said this strategy reflects the shared commitment to pursue coordinated, inclusive and forward-looking action.

She affirmed that the JRCS conference provided an opportunity to consolidate learning, strengthen coordination, scale response efforts, and reaffirm the shared responsibility to those who continue to bear the weight of the disaster.

“The Jamaica Red Cross remains committed as a trusted humanitarian partner, as an auxiliary to the government, and as an advocate for those most in need,” Ms. Chung said.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Jagan Chapagain, noted that while the Red Cross has brought help to almost 46,000 Jamaicans, in many ways, the real work starts now.

“We are now at the six-month mark. This is the pivot point, the moment when the priorities flip. In the first hours and days, the priority was speed… save lives, restore water, and find shelter. Today, the priority is strategy,” he argued.

Mr. Chapagain pointed out that the response going forward must be focused on building a Jamaica that will stand resilient when the next storm hits.

He noted that, unfortunately, Jamaica’s recovery is happening in a world that has become more hostile.

“The escalation of conflict in the Middle East has pushed fuel prices up nearly 10 per cent. Fertiliser costs have jumped by a third. For a country that imports most of its fuel, these are not numbers; they are obstacles to recovery. Every dollar now has to work harder. Every decision has to be sharper. Strategy is no longer optional – it is a must,” the Secretary-General said.

He emphasised that Jamaica’s continued recovery must be guided by valuable lessons that have been learnt from around the world.

“The key is to build integrated resilience before the next hazard hits – not just getting back what people have lost, but helping communities build what they will not lose in the future,” Mr. Chapagain said.

He affirmed that recovery must look to the future, not to the past.

“The hardest part of recovery begins when the emergency phase ends and needs become less visible. That’s where Jamaica is now…and this is the moment we all have to collectively get it right,” the Secretary-General said.

He emphasised that the Red Cross is committed to staying engaged and supporting a recovery that is truly nationally led and places communities at the centre.

“Let us trust the national actors, the local actors, the communities, because at the end of the day, they have lost their homes. They have lost their livelihoods… and we need to trust in their ability to recover,” Mr. Chapagain said.

He emphasised that the shift from response to recovery will not be easy, but expressed confidence that Jamaica’s Government, its people, and its partners will make that shift successfully.

“Resilience is built over years. Recovery takes time. It cannot be done in months. It cannot be done in weeks,” Mr. Chapagain said.

He emphasised that the IFRC will accompany the Jamaica Red Cross at every step of this important journey.

As the JRCS response continues, the agency is moving away from distributions of tarpaulins and household items towards identifying and training masons and carpenters and supporting the safe replacement of damaged and destroyed roofs.

In mental health and psychosocial support, it is working with children and adults, providing wide support across the affected areas.

In health, support is planned to help to rehabilitate damaged health centres, while for the livelihoods component JRC has prioritised three sectors – fishers, farmers and owners of micro enterprises.

Individuals in these sectors will receive technical support and materials to re-establish their livelihoods, with an emphasis on climate-smart activities and risk-reduction strategies. Where appropriate, cash assistance will be used as a modality to support livelihood activities.