Hurricane Melissa ravaged western Jamaica on Oct. 28. Samaritan's Purse has a large response team and field hospital on the ground.
The Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Field Hospital has opened and is receiving patients in the southwest corner of the country in the flattened coastal town of Black River, Jamaica. Four total airlifts so far have brought 100 tons of relief to the island.
For all future updates, visit our response page.
The Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Field Hospital in Black River, Jamaica, is up and running to provide much-need medical care in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
Our 767 cargo plane departed from our Airlift Response Center in Greensboro and arrived in Jamaica the same day. Transportation is being organized to deliver the medical unit to Black River, where the local hospital was destroyed and all other buildings were at least damaged in the storm. With roads severed and power out, people are desperate for any kind of help. “We need everything,” one resident said. Samaritan’s Purse is also setting up a community water filtration system in Black River using helicopter sling loads. A forward mobile medical team is on the ground as well.
Samaritan’s Purse water and sanitation specialists are installing community water filtration systems in Jamaica to provide clean drinking water for families affected by Hurricane Melissa.
“We are bringing in doctors, nurses, and the entire team it takes to get this hospital up and running—along with all the equipment and supplies we need,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Hospitals, homes, and entire communities have been devastated. We want these people to know that God loves them and we care about what they’re going through. We will also continue distributing emergency supplies like water filters and shelter material. Please continue to pray for the people of Jamaica and for our teams as we respond in Jesus’ Name.”
Less than 48 hours after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, Samaritan’s Purse airlifted the first members of a Disaster Assistance Response Team and tons of aid. Our 757, 767, and DC-8 cargo planes will continue delivering many tons of life-saving supplies to Jamaica. The next flight is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 3, as our DC-8 will bring in community water filtration systems and more tarp.
Our airlifts have already brought in community water systems, shelter materials, household water filters, solar lights, hygiene kits, and other supplies. The community water systems can serve 10,000 people per day. Some distributions have already begun, providing hurting communities with water, shelter, and other supplies.
The Samaritan’s Purse 767 left our Airlift Response Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, Nov. 2, bound for Jamaica with an Emergency Field Hospital.
We are leveraging our full aviation assets in this response, including helicopters to transport team members, do assessments, and bring relief. We are in regular communication with more than 200 church partners as well as community leaders on the ground in Jamaica.
Additional flights are scheduled in the coming days to quickly deliver relief in Jesus’ Name.
Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaica as a deadly Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph on Oct. 28. After several hours of catastrophic gusts and torrential rain, the storm cleared the island nation leaving serious damage in its wake.
We are delivering more than 100 tons of relief on our first four flights to the storm-battered island.
News reports indicate there is extensive destruction on Jamaica, especially along the western half of the island. Homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals are badly damaged. Thousands are in emergency shelters, and more than three-quarters of the population are without power. Roads and bridges are washed out. Flash flooding and landslides have occurred in the mountains.
Melissa is the most powerful hurricane ever recorded to hit Jamaica. By wind speed, it is among the strongest hurricanes to ever strike the Atlantic Basin.
Please be in prayer for all those affected by Hurricane Melissa and for our teams as they bring physical aid and the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people in need.
Our 757 and DC-8 flights to Jamaica Oct. 30 and 31 carried DART personnel along with water filtration systems, shelter materials, medical supplies, and other relief.
