Left to Right: Commander Alvin Gayle – Director General for ODPEM, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr – Min. of Labour and Social Security, Elizabeth Riley – Executive Director for CDEMA and Dennis Zulu – UN Resident Coordinator for Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica – March 12, 2026 – The CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) joined local, regional and international partners in Kingston, Jamaica, from March 10–12, 2026, for the Regional Response Mechanism (RRM) After-Action Review (AAR) on Hurricane Melissa, led by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). The workshop, hosted by the Government of Jamaica through Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management (ODPEM), examined lessons from one of the strongest hurricanes to impact Jamaica.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025, as a Category 5 storm with winds of 280 km/h, leaving catastrophic damage across the island. Initial assessments estimated losses at 41% of Jamaica’s 2024 GDP, approximately US$12.2 billion, highlighting the scale of destruction and the need for coordinated regional support.
The CDF contributed US$500,000 to the Jamaica Resilient Recovery Initiative (JARRI), implemented by UNDP, supporting debris clearance, livelihood and MSME recovery, re-roofing for vulnerable households, and solar energy solutions to restore community functionality. This assistance reflects the CDF’s commitment to strengthening resilience and accelerating recovery across CARICOM.
More than 100 stakeholders attended the AAR, reviewing key areas such as anticipatory action, early warning systems, surge deployments, logistics coordination, and financing mechanisms. In that regard, the CDF in advance of the 2025 hurricane season had previously provided CDEMA with an emergency grant of US$300,000 to support its Regional Response Mechanism, which was drawn upon to cover the costs of surge deployments and other immediate response efforts in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. CDEMA was commended for its leadership, including early activation of the Regional Coordination Plan and successful deployment of regional response teams.
CDF Programme Specialist Chris McNair reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to helping Member States confront increasing climate-related hazards and emphasized the importance of sustained investment in resilience and recovery financing.
Workshop findings will shape the “Next Level RRM,” designed to strengthen preparedness, streamline regional coordination, and enhance support to the most vulnerable.
The CDF remains ready to work alongside CDEMA and other partners to safeguard communities, strengthen resilience, and support a faster, more coordinated response to future disasters.
For media inquiries: Communications Unit – CARICOM Development Fund
Email: info@caricomdf.org
