Samaritan's Purse has disaster relief resources and specialists on standby to send to Jamaica after the island suffered one of the strongest storms in its recorded history. The organization will send its third airlift on Sunday.
According to a press release, this airlift is part of its ongoing relief efforts to the island after Hurricane Melissa—the largest storm in Jamaica's recorded history.
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Hurricane Melissa made a historic landfall in Jamaica Tuesday as a Category 5 storm with 185 mph maximum sustained winds. Upon emerging from the island, it was a Category 3 before making another landfall near Santiago de Cuba early Wednesday.
As a result, the Boone-based, international Christian relief organization started preparations as of Wednesday to airlift community water systems, shelter materials, solar lights, medical supplies and more to Jamaica.
Sunday's 767 cargo place will also carry an emergency field hospital to the island.
The press release added that Jamaica's Ministry of Health requested this facility to provide urgent care to patients as many hospitals and other infrastructure across the island were damaged in the storm. The facility will be built in Black River, where the hurricane made landfall along Jamaica's southwest coast and destroyed the local hospital, according to Samaritan's Purse.
The emergency field hospital will be equipped with more than 30 inpatient beds and include an operating room, ICU, ER, obstetric ward for maternal and neonatal car, laboratory, pharmacy and blood blank.
“We are bringing in doctors, nurses, and the entire team it takes to get this hospital up and running—along with all the equipment and supplies we need,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse.
“Hospitals, homes, and entire communities have been devastated. We want these people to know that God loves them and we care about what they’re going through. We will also continue distributing emergency supplies like water filters and shelter material. Please continue to pray for the people of Jamaica and for our teams as we respond in Jesus’ Name.”
On Wednesday, Graham posted on Facebook that the organization had been working to get these supplies out of North Carolina as soon as an airport in Jamaica is available.
The organization said they are in regular communication with church partners and appropriate officials in Jamaica.
Graham's post continued: "Pray for the people of Jamaica tonight. They were just hit by a monstrous storm—Hurricane Melissa—and fatalities have already been reported. Samaritan's Purse works with more than 250 church partners there, and they have asked for prayer. They’ve been through storms before, but this one was the strongest to ever hit the island."
