PNP presses government to deploy Hurricane Melissa relief funds before 2026 season

The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) has criticised the Government's handling of hurricane relief donations, after an Auditor General's report showed that less than two per cent of funds raised in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa had been spent.

According to the report, only J$26 million of roughly J$1.4 billion in donations had been utilised as at February 2026. Opposition Senator Cleveland Tomlinson said the figures raise serious questions about how relief money is being managed, particularly with the 2026 hurricane season only weeks away.

The report also noted that contributions received after Hurricane Barrel, nearly two years ago, remain unspent. Tomlinson argued the Government has failed to put in place a proper expenditure plan to direct relief funds to people affected by natural disasters.

Government Senator Marlene Morgan countered that the findings underscore the need for the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority to cut through bureaucratic delays. However, the report found no plans showing how the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management intended to spend money earmarked for Hurricane Melissa victims during the audit period.

Tomlinson said uncommitted funds cannot be blamed on bureaucracy alone. The Opposition is demanding a comprehensive expenditure plan for all donated relief money, with housing identified as the top priority. He said Members of Parliament across the island report constituents still living without proper shelter, and that unspent funds should be directed toward permanent housing solutions.

He also criticised recent shelter relocations as poorly handled, saying displaced residents deserve to be treated with dignity.

Dr Angela Brown Burke, the Opposition shadow minister for social protection and transformation, joined the call for a full spending plan on Hurricane Melissa funds. She is also pressing for a verified, parish-by-parish list of all beneficiaries under the roofs programme and other housing assistance schemes, along with the methodology used to select them. MPs, she said, have been unable to track constituents who believe they were assessed but do not know their status.