KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) has ramped up its collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) as Jamaica continues nationwide recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.

Under the strengthened partnership, the WFP is proposing support for 200,000 Jamaicans over a three-month period, providing food, cash assistance, logistics, and emergency telecommunications at an estimated cost of US$30 million.

To date, 24,500 food kits have been distributed across the parishes of St Elizabeth, St James, Trelawny and Westmoreland.

Each kit sustains a household of three for one week. The WFP aims to reach an additional 46,000 people in the coming days as it scales up its operations.

Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr said the partnership has significantly improved the ministry’s ability to evaluate needs on the ground and respond quickly. He noted that integration with the Jamaica Household Disaster Impact and Needs Assessment (JHDINA) platform has already enabled 22,340 household assessments, supporting efficient, data-driven decision-making.

The collaboration has also facilitated a review of the MLSS Community Feedback Mechanism to identify gaps and recommend improvements for people affected by the hurricane.

According to the ministry, WFP support has strengthened government-led systems for accountability and responsiveness, ensuring that assistance is delivered transparently and reaches the most vulnerable. The WFP has also provided key assets to boost emergency operations, including trucks, generators, forklifts, storage units, pallets and specialised sector equipment.

To further enhance response capacity, the WFP has established seven emergency staging areas in locations such as Montego Bay, Kingston and Black River, enabling rapid deployment of relief supplies to impacted communities.

Representative for the WFP Caribbean Office, Brian Bogart said the organisation has been fully engaged since before the storm made landfall.

“WFP has been fully committed to supporting the national emergency response even before Hurricane Melissa made landfall. Our work is embedded within the national system, ensuring that multilateral support aligns with Government of Jamaica priorities,” he said.

To date, the WFP has provided emergency food kits to more than 35,000 vulnerable people, with plans to double that number in the coming days.

Overall, the MLSS has delivered 59,320 food packages across multiple parishes, supported by the WFP’s logistics, supply chain expertise and digital assessment tools. Coordinated efforts involving the MLSS, the WFP and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) continue to supply essential relief to communities hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa.

Both the MLSS and WFP reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Jamaica’s recovery as national response efforts continue.