Food For The Poor named Jamaica’s lead logistics partner in Hurricane relief effort

International charity Food For The Poor says it has been officially recognised as the central logistical hub for Jamaica's relief network following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

It says it has been tasked by the Humanitarian Assistance Committee with managing the inbound shipment, customs clearance, staging, and nationwide dispatch of humanitarian aid to thousands of affected families.

The charity is operating under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF),

“The Office of the Prime Minister has positioned Food For The Poor as a lead logistics solutions partner, integrating government, military, and humanitarian assets to ensure that relief flows efficiently and equitably across all parishes,” the organisation said in a statement on Sunday.

“Food For The Poor has become the connective tissue of Jamaica’s disaster response,” said Ed Raine, the organisation’s president and CEO. “Our mission is to deliver hope under pressure.”

Raine noted that the charity has distributed more than 6,000 food and hygiene packages across priority communities, with more than 2 million pounds of aid - including medical supplies, hygiene kits, and food - either delivered or staged for deployment.

Integrated humanitarian operations are now underway with support from the World Food Programme, the United States military, and the JDF, which have deployed Chinook helicopters to airlift supplies into isolated areas of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, and Hanover, where road access remains limited.

At Norman Manley International Airport, the World Food Programme has established mobile storage units that Food For The Poor manages for staging, inventory tracking, and distribution. Warehouses in Spanish Town and Montego Bay are now operating 24 hours daily to ensure supplies reach even the most remote communities.

Food For The Poor says its efforts are also being supported by partners such as Wisynco, World Central Kitchen, AmeriCares, Airlink and Amerijet and Water Mission, and several cities in south Florida.

Additionally, Excelerate Energy, a US-based LNG company, has joined forces with the charity to deliver critical medical and humanitarian supplies via its LNG carrier, Excelerate Shenandoah, which transported tents, generators, and hospital equipment from Panama to Jamaica last week.

“This is a national effort - one coordinated system, one unified message, one trusted conduit,” Raine said.

Steven Kobos, president and chief executive officer of Excelerate Energy, said the company has a "responsibility" when "lives are disrupted and communities are hurting.

"We have a responsibility—not just to restore energy, but to help people recover and rebuild. We are honoured to stand alongside the Government of Jamaica, our partners, and our team to support impacted communities," he said.

Excelerate Energy acquired New Fortress Energy's Jamaican assets in May.

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 miles per hour, made landfall in Westmoreland on October 28, devastating parts of western Jamaica. More than 90,000 people were affected, and at least 27 communities remain cut off due to flooding, downed trees, and damaged infrastructure.

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