World Central Kitchen to Continue Serving Meals Into January

World Central Kitchen (WCK) will remain in Jamaica until January 2026, ensuring that residents in communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa will have hot, hearty and nutritious meals during the Christmas season.

WCK Liaison, Denise Cagley-Jefferson, gave the update during a briefing at the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Kingston on Thursday (Dec. 11).

“We will, in fact, provide hot meals into January and reassess a departure date in January,” Mrs. Cagley-Jefferson said, noting that residents and Government officials had requested that the organisation remain in the island during the holiday period.

The organisation reports that it has already provided more than one million meals, equivalent to about 40,000 hot meals a day, along with sandwiches, fruits and water, to hurricane-impacted residents.

WCK operates through more than 180 distribution sites between Montego Bay and St. Elizabeth, leveraging a corps of local drivers and chefs to cook and deliver culturally relevant meals that are prepared using Jamaican ingredients.

WCK not only offers nourishment but a template for disaster response that respects local culture and economy.

By employing local drivers, using local ingredients, and partnering with Jamaican authorities, WCK has created a relief effort that feels less like aid and more like communal recovery.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has commended WCK for its “extraordinary support after Hurricane Melissa”.

He noted that the organisation’s relief has sustained reliable access to food and water and has strengthened the local economy by employing Jamaican workers in the relief effort.

The Prime Minister expressed deep gratitude for WCK’s compassion, efficiency, and commitment, as the country works toward recovery, and for the meaningful difference their partnership is making.