Welcome to issue 108 of the Call to Comms!

This week, we focus on Hurricane Melissa and TSF’s response in Jamaica. 

TSF Mobilized to Meet Communications Needs After the Hurricane

On October 28th, Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds reaching up to 280 km/h. Melissa is considered the most powerful hurricane to ever hit Jamaica since weather records began.

A picture of the damages caused by Hurricane Melissa, taken by the team in the field.

The hurricane, along with the landslides and floods that followed, caused severe damage: at least 28 people were reported dead, and homes and public infrastructure were destroyed. Communications and power infrastructures have been impacted, making it difficult for affected communities to call for help and reach their loved ones, and for organizations to respond to the crisis. The damage is very extensive in the western part of the island. 

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TSF deployed quickly after the disaster, reaching Jamaica on October 31st, to support relief efforts and meet the communication needs of affected people through emergency communications equipment.

Working in collaboration with the Jamaican Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations, TSF has started providing connectivity in coordination centers. TSF is integrated into regional humanitarian networks, thanks to alliances forged through capacity-sharing projects, joint disaster response efforts, and currently, an Internet resilience project with partners such as the Jamaican Red Cross.

Internet Resiliency
To contribute to community resilience in the face of disasters in Central America, TSF is implementing disaster-resistant connectivity solutions in centers identified for their ability to provide assistance to vulnerable people during crises.
Télécoms Sans Frontières - ONG téléphonie humanitaire | Telecoms Sans Frontieres - NGO in Humanitarian calling

The field team connected two Jamaican Red Cross branches: one center in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, and another in Savanna-La-Mar, Westmoreland. Connectivity in these centers is used for coordination purposes – it is particularly necessary for organizing distributions, communicating damage and needs assessments to headquarters in Kingston, etc. This internet access is shared among humanitarian organizations and affected communities. 

The team will continue to respond to the crisis, planning to connect additional centers and address communication needs as they evolve.

“Connectivity is important because it connects loved ones. Without the Wi-Fi, people cannot have confirmation that people are ok.”

- Michelle, a community member in Santa Cruz.

Support our response here

See you in two weeks.