Samaritan’s Purse airlifts 38,000 pounds of relief supplies to Jamaica

Led by Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse airlifted more than 38,000 pounds of emergency relief supplies to Jamaica after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa ripped through the island, causing widespread destruction and leaving thousands homeless.

Less than 48 hours after Melissa made landfall with winds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour, the North Carolina-based Christian relief organization deployed its Disaster Assistance Response Team and began evacuating critical relief supplies in Kingston.

“Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica, leaving tens of thousands of families in need of emergency assistance,” Graham told Fox News Digital.

“Entire communities have been torn apart, flooded and left in ruins. For many families, their entire world has been shattered around them. We already have 38,000 pounds of relief supplies and teams with more on the way. We want these people to know that God loves them and cares about them. He sees their pain; they are not forgotten.”

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The first Samaritan’s Purse cargo flight, a B757 from the agency’s Airlift Response Center in Greensboro, carried 1,500 family kits filled with tarps, ropes, solar lights, canisters and water filters. A second flight, a DC-8 jet, is scheduled to depart Friday, carrying two water filtration systems, additional supplies and medical teams, each capable of providing clean water to 10,000 people a day.

Edward Graham, the utility’s chief operating officer and Franklin Graham’s son, said crews prepared before the storm arrived. “Before Hurricane Melissa hit, our teams were on hand in close coordination with our church partners in Jamaica, preparing supplies and loading our aircraft,” he said. “Right now, our disaster response experts are on the ground and we are working hard to provide relief to the suffering families. Please pray for Jamaica and for these families who have lost so much.”

The storm knocked out power across much of the island, cut communications, and flooded entire neighborhoods in Jamaica’s southern reaches. Airport staff handling the Samaritan’s Bag cargo said it was an incoming first aid shipment.

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Workers load emergency pallets onto a Samaritan’s Purse cargo jet at the organization’s Airlift Response Center in Greensboro, N.C., before heading to Jamaica. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

Dave Holzhauer, who led the organization’s disaster response in Jamaica, called the devastation “heartbreaking.” “Entire hospitals, schools and homes have been destroyed, and many families who were just beginning to recover from previous storms are now starting over,” he said. “Floodwaters remain high in some communities and the need for hope and practical support is great. We are working urgently to reach the hardest-hit areas – places still cut off by debris and flooding – with life-saving aid and the love of Christ.”

The relief effort is being coordinated with the Jamaica Ministry of Health and more than 250 local church partners through Samaritan’s Operation Bag Christmas Child network. Officials say the group is ready to provide mobile medical teams and emergency water systems at a time when hospitals are trying to reopen.

A Samaritan’s Purse staff member carries a load of packaged relief supplies to the organization’s Greensboro hangar before being shipped to Jamaica. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

Vincent Rose, church partner in southern Jamaica, said many communities remain isolated. “We lost communications in the early hours of yesterday morning and are likely still without power for the next few days,” he said. “From our perspective, the situation is very bad. Crews are trying to clear the main street so that the urgent restoration process can begin. As for us, we are fine, although there was a lot of water in our house after the roof tiles burst. Please continue to pray for everyone here as we begin to recover.”

Samaritan’s Purse pastors, trained through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, also join the mission to provide emotional and spiritual care, Franklin Graham said. “Our mission is to meet physical needs while sharing the hope of Jesus Christ,” he said. “As we deliver supplies and clean water, we also remind families that they are not alone.”

Samaritan’s Purse B757 cargo plane is preparing to depart Greensboro, NC, carrying 38,000 pounds of relief supplies for hurricane-ravaged Jamaica. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

Melissa became one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Caribbean; Winds reached 300 kilometers per hour, and widespread flooding and landslides were reported in Jamaica. The hurricane left thousands of people without shelter and triggered a nationwide power outage.

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Samaritan’s Purse said additional relief flights are planned in the coming days as crews continue to assess needs. The organization, which has been responding to disasters around the world since 1970, asks for continued prayers and support.

For more information on the organization’s efforts or to donate, visit: samaritanspurse.org.