In response to the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Melissa, the Liberty Caribbean Foundation has launched an immediate regional relief initiative to aid affected families, employees, and communities across Jamaica. The charitable arm of Flow and Liberty Business, in collaboration with regional crisis teams and partners under Liberty Latin America, has strategically positioned essential supplies, including food, water, emergency kits, and connectivity solutions, ready for deployment as soon as local authorities provide safe access.
Ensuring the safety and well-being of staff remains the top priority, with teams actively verifying the status of all employees. While outreach efforts continue, the Foundation is prepared to commence relief shipments at the earliest opportunity, pending official clearance.
Inge Smidts, CEO of Liberty Caribbean, emphasized the organization’s commitment: ‘Our first duty is to our people and the communities who rely on us. We have mobilized resources across the region to ensure a swift, coordinated, and responsible response. Wherever we can safely deliver assistance, we will be there to provide immediate relief and support long-term recovery.’
The Foundation is working closely with national and local authorities, community organizations, and trusted relief partners to ensure efficient aid distribution, avoid duplication, and prioritize the most vulnerable households and shelter populations. Simultaneously, Liberty Caribbean’s crisis-management teams are focused on restoring critical communications infrastructure and supporting employee welfare.
Smidts added, ‘Recovery will be a sustained effort. Beyond emergency supplies, we are committed to partnering with local organizations on rebuilding and resilience initiatives that restore livelihoods and strengthen communities. The Foundation will remain engaged for as long as it takes.’
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica on October 28 as a devastating Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, tying it with Hurricane Dorian (2019) and the 1935 ‘Labor Day’ hurricane as the strongest Atlantic hurricane landfall on record by wind speed.
The Foundation is calling for public and corporate support to scale relief operations. Donations will directly fund the procurement and delivery of essential supplies and support long-term recovery programs in the hardest-hit communities. Secure online donations can be made at: https://www.libertycaribbeanfoundation.org/hurricane-relief.