The UK will provide an additional £5m in emergency humanitarian funding to help the Caribbean region recover from Hurricane Melissa, the government has said.
The additional funding follows a £2.5 million support package announced earlier this week, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.
The funds will be used to deliver humanitarian aid to people whose homes were damaged and those left without electricity.
The package also includes more than 3,000 shelter kits and 1,500 solar-powered lanterns.
A proportion of the money – up to the value of £1 million – will go toward matching public donations and will be handed to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ appeal supporting Jamaica.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “More information is now coming through on the scale of devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, with homes damaged, roads blocked and lives lost.
“That is why the UK Government is now increasing our funding for humanitarian support to ensure we can get shelter kits, solar lamps and sanitation products to those who need it most.”
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British nationals in Jamaica urged to register
The FCDO has urged all British nationals in Jamaica to register their presence and to use commercial flights as their primary option for leaving the country following the deadly storm.
A specialist rapid deployment team has been sent to Jamaica to provide consular assistance to affected British nationals.
The Foreign Office is also arranging flights for those unable to return home on commercial services.
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Seat prices for these flights will reflect standard commercial fares, the FCDO said, adding that priority will be given to the most vulnerable, including people with medical needs and children.
British nationals and their immediate family members, including a partner, spouse or children under 18, are eligible for the flights.
Members of the Windrush generation – people from the Caribbean who moved to the UK between 1948 and the early 1970s to help rebuild the country after the Second World War – also qualify for the service.
Devastating storm
Melissa came ashore in Jamaica as a category 5 hurricane on Tuesday, carrying top winds of 185mph.
At least 19 people have been killed in Jamaica, according to authorities.
More than 13,000 people are still sheltering in crowded facilities, while 72% of the island remains without electricity and just 35% of mobile phone networks are functioning.
The hurricane unleashed catastrophic flooding in Haiti, where the death toll has risen to at least 30, with 20 others missing and 15,000 in shelters.
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In Cuba, heavy machinery was deployed to clear debris from blocked roads and highways, while the military assisted in rescuing people stranded in remote areas.
No fatalities were reported, as the civil defence authority had evacuated more than 735,000 people across eastern Cuba before the storm hit.
Residents have now begun gradually returning to their homes.
