ODPEM flagged for low utilisation of donated hurricane relief funds

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) which operates out of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has demonstrated a low utilisation rate of disaster relief funds donated for hurricanes Melissa and Beryl as at February 23, 2026.

A Hurricane Melissa relief real-time compliance audit report, which was tabled in Parliament this afternoon, noted that $1.44 billion was received in cash donations for Hurricane Melissa from the Support Jamaica initiative and direct donations.

However, it revealed that only $26 million or 1.8 per cent had been spent for the benefit of victims of the storm.

It was also revealed that amounts totalling $138.8 million and US$101,974 from Hurricane Beryl cash donations remained unspent. 

The Auditor General said the ODPEM did not provide information on the total funds collected and expended for Hurricane Beryl.

In its April 2026 response, ODPEM indicated that the low level of utilisation was due to the absence of authorisation from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to expend the funds.   

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