Hurricane Melissa relief spending defended as Jamaica eyes cancer care and nonprofit law changes

Jamaica’s government is pushing back against criticism of Hurricane Melissa relief spending after an audit found that only $26 million of $1.4 billion in donations had been used so far, while ministers also outlined plans to strengthen cancer services and update regulation of nonprofit groups.

Government Senator Marlon Morgan said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management had to follow proper procedures so the donated money could be tracked and accounted for. He said $240 million is being directed to roof repairs, $600 million to bases for modular homes for people whose houses were destroyed, and $560 million to other Hurricane Melissa recovery work.

Opposition figures rejected the government’s defence. Dr. Angela Brown-Burke said the administration had not built a transparent, fair national response, while Senator Cleveland Tomlinson argued that shelter remains the most urgent need, with many Jamaicans still without proper roofs.

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton, who is in Geneva for talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency, said a technical team is expected to visit Jamaica to assess cancer-care expansion. He said the government wants more equipment, possible cancer-treatment capacity in central Jamaica, additional mammogram services, and more training for the workers needed to operate specialised machines.

Civil society groups are also watching proposed nonprofit legislation expected in October 2026. Nancy Pinhass, executive director of the Council of Voluntary Social Services, said organisations support stronger oversight but want the law to recognise differences in size, resources and sectors. She said regulation should protect donors and beneficiaries while allowing smaller groups to meet reasonable reporting requirements.

Overseas, Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned that any US military action against the island would bring severe consequences, after reports that Cuba may have obtained more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran. Washington has imposed new sanctions on Cuban intelligence, senior ministers and Communist Party officials. The World Health Organization also warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is unlikely to end quickly, with cases expected to rise.