Attachments
Early on October 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, affecting close to 1.6 million people. In response, Haiti Air Ambulance brought together a consortium of partners including Medic Corps, LIFT Nonprofit Logistics, and Development Impact Global Group (DIGG). The consortium was funded by a USD $1 million grant from the United States Department of State, and partners received additional grants from private donors including the American Friends of Jamaica, Anglican Relief and Development, Love and Life Foundation, Young President’s Organization (YPO) and Clara Lionel Foundation. Leveraging the comparative strengths of consortium team members, the consortium was among the fastest responders to Jamaica. It is a model for how organizations can come together to deliver services in the aftermath of disaster and work effectively with governments, other NGOs, and the United Nations system.
Direct distributions by the consortium were done using a combination of helicopters and trucks from October 30-November 22, after which the team switched entirely to ground operations until the demobilization of the consortium on December 3. Before their demobilization, the helicopters flew over 300 helicopter flights to reach a total of 106 affected towns and villages with relief goods. Goods moved were provided through in-kind donations from partners including UK Aid, the Government of Colombia, Sandals Foundation, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), Food for the Poor (FFTP), the World Food Program, Sampers, and SpaceX/Starlink.
Distributions facilitated by the consortium were done with an array of partners including the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF), the US Army, other international NGOs, and local leaders. Since it began distributions on October 30, the team has processed 15,737 food kits, totaling approximately 446,930lbs of food, through its hangar. Of that, the consortium directly distributed 8,062 food kits, totalling approximately 228,961lbs using its assets. Additionally, 6,219 cases of water, 2599 hygiene kits, and 2,140 tarp bales were moved through the hangar by partners. Of that, 2,326 cases of water, 1,496 hygiene kits, and 979 tarp bales were moved by the consortium.
Throughout the response, the team also provided accurate, up-to-date live data based on community needs assessments and work with local leaders. This data was fed into the Government of Jamaica and UN information management systems, as well as those of regional authorities such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and NGO and local partners on the ground. By providing this bottom-up information in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the consortium was able to enable agile and effective targeting mechanisms in partnership with the Government of Jamaica, including the Jamaican Defense Force