Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm, has unleashed catastrophic damage across Jamaica — the strongest hurricane to strike the island since records began in 1851. With winds exceeding 160 miles per hour, devastating floods, and landslides cutting off entire communities, thousands have been displaced and vital infrastructure destroyed.
The storm made landfall early Tuesday, flattening homes, destroying crops, and leaving major parts of Kingston and the southern coast without power or communications. Jamaica’s Meteorological Service has warned that some areas could see up to 40 inches of rain, while storm surges of up to 13 feet threaten the island’s southern coastline.
Operation Black Vote (OBV) today added its voice to the growing calls from the UK’s Jamaican diaspora for urgent international support.
“This is a moment for moral leadership,” said David Weaver, Chair of Operation Black Vote.
“Jamaica is part of our shared history and family. The images emerging from the island are heartbreaking, but what’s needed now is not sympathy - it’s action. The British Government must respond immediately with emergency humanitarian aid and stand with Jamaica in its hour of need.”
Weaver called for the UK to deploy emergency resources — including temporary shelters, water purification units, medical support, and power generators — through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). He also stressed Britain’s climate responsibility toward Caribbean nations that have contributed least to global emissions but face the harshest consequences of global warming.
Across the UK, members of the Jamaican and wider Caribbean diaspora have been rallying support. A petition calling on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to provide emergency aid for Jamaica is gaining strength, as communities mobilise in solidarity with families and friends on the island.
“We are deeply concerned for the people of Jamaica,” said Lee Jasper, Chair of the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) and long-time human rights advocate.
“The coming days will test our resilience as a diaspora and our compassion as a nation. Britain has both the means and the moral duty to act. Jamaica needs urgent aid - and it needs it now.”
The petition, titled “Calling on UK PM Keir Starmer to provide emergency aid for Jamaica,” urges the UK Government to deliver direct emergency assistance, commit to long-term climate resilience partnerships, and ensure that Caribbean nations are not left to bear the costs of the global climate crisis alone.
Sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/calling-on-uk-pm-keir-starmer-to-provide-emergency-aid-for-jamaica
As communities across Jamaica brace for the storm’s aftermath, OBV has urged the British public, policymakers, and diaspora networks to come together in practical solidarity - offering donations, logistical support, and sustained advocacy for international relief.
“Our call is simple,” said Weaver. “When the winds rise in Jamaica, the world must not look away. We are one people — and our response must match the scale of this crisis.”
