UK to launch emergency repatriation flights for British tourists trapped in Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa
As the death toll from Hurricane Melissa continues to rise, the government is organizing emergency charter flights to evacuate British tourists stranded in Jamaica.
There are thought to be as many as 8,000 Britons in Jamaica, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has urged them to register their presence through the government website to receive updates on the cyclone.
While all airports on the Caribbean island have been closed in preparation for the storm, the Jamaican government said it hoped to reopen them on Thursday to help distribute emergency relief supplies.
The FCDO said it was working with travel companies and commercial airlines to revive flights and was organizing a limited number of charter flights for British nationals who cannot fly to their country commercially to increase capacity.
The ministry said all British nationals who register their presence in Jamaica will be automatically contacted and provided with a link to the booking portal for flights when airports open.
Two specialist rapid deployment teams are heading to Jamaica to facilitate charter flights and provide consular assistance to British nationals.
The statement comes after the UK announced plans to provide £2.5 million in emergency humanitarian funding to the country, with Sir Keir Starmer describing scenes from the country as “truly shocking”.
The FCDO also set up a crisis center to help Britons on the Caribbean island. Meanwhile the Royal Navy ship HMS Trent is pending in the area.
The Prime Minister told MPs on Wednesday that the navy ship HMS Trent and rapid deployment teams were “pre-positioned in the area” to provide support.
In a statement on Friday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The strong ties between the UK and Jamaica mean that many British nationals were present during the devastation of the cyclone and we need to ensure their safe return home as we know how worrying and difficult the last few days will be.
“The UK government is arranging flights to increase commercial capacity and ensure those wishing to return to the UK can do so as quickly as possible.”
The west of Jamaica is thought to be particularly badly affected, including major tourist areas such as Montego Bay, while nearly three-quarters of the island is without electricity.
On Tuesday, the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said Melissa was “one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin”, hitting southwestern Jamaica near New Hope with winds of 185 mph.
The storm has since reached eastern Cuba and dropped from category five to category three.
The National Hurricane Center warned residents of Cuba to stay sheltered and urged the Bahamas to prepare for the storm, which is predicted to reach the country later Wednesday.
