Hurricane Melissa Leaves Jamaica Seeking Urgent Climate Finance

Jamaica’s disaster reserves covered only $500 million of the $10 billion caused by Hurricane Melissa, leaving the island nation seeking urgent climate finance as climate change intensifies the impact of extreme weather.

Jamaica’s climate-preparedness reserves have proved insufficient to cover the massive damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm intensified by climate change. The island nation can draw on just $500 million of its disaster funds to address an estimated $10 billion in destruction, leaving a $9.5 billion shortfall.

The hurricane, which struck on 28 October, brought devastating winds, storm surges of up to 17 feet, and torrential rains exceeding 30 inches, causing widespread flooding and landslides. Some 192,000 buildings were damaged, and the country’s vital tourism and agricultural sectors have been severely disrupted.

At the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, Jamaican officials called on wealthy nations to provide urgent grants, investment, and concessional finance to aid recovery. Authorities stressed that commercial-rate loans would exacerbate national debt, undermining decades of economic progress.

Jamaican cabinet minister Matthew Samuda highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on nations that contribute least to global emissions. “We don’t come as mendicants. We come as victims of the actions of others,” he said, underlining the moral imperative for international support.

Experts have linked Hurricane Melissa’s intensity to climate change, noting the storm was around 30% stronger than it would have been without global warming and six times more likely to strike when it did. Jamaica’s pre-storm resilience measures, including a World Bank-backed catastrophe bond and parametric insurance, provided only partial relief, netting $240 million in funds—far short of the overall damage.

The financial gap threatens to delay reconstruction and recovery, with long-term implications for the economy and public services. The World Bank estimates that developing countries will require at least $310 billion annually by 2035 to prepare for and adapt to climate-related disasters.

Hurricane Melissa is a stark reminder of the escalating costs of climate inaction and the urgent need for global solidarity. For nations like Jamaica, the consequences are immediate, devastating, and painfully tangible.