A new audit conducted by the Auditor General&rsquo;s Department of Jamaica has revealed troubling gaps in Jamaica&rsquo;s hurricane relief management, finding that despite billions of dollars in donations, only a minute fraction has been spent, raising red flags over how the funds are being managed.
Of the $1.44 billion in cash donations received by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) after Hurricane Melissa devastated the island on October 28, 2025, only $26.2 million &ndash; a mere 1.8 per cent, a fraction of the total, had been spent as at February 23, 2026, with ODPEM attributing the low utilisation to the absence of Ministry of Finance authorisation to expend the funds.
The audit also found that a financial services institution (FSI) managing the Support Jamaica donation portal withheld over $15.7 million and US $298,429 beyond the agreed 45-day holding period, with no formal agreement in place governing this arrangement, and bank statement confirming the eventual March 2026 transfer were not provided.
Additionally, over $138.8 million in unspent Hurricane Beryl donation funds had been carried forward without being disclosed to the Ministry of Finance as legally required.
The audit further identified persistent non-compliance with the Disaster Risk Management Act 2015 in the management of the National Disaster Fund (NDF), which held $136 million in cash and $293 million in investments as at February 2026.
The NDF has not been audited as a standalone fund for at least five years, no annual statements or reports have been prepared for financial years 2023-2025, and no dedicated bank account exists for the fund &mdash; with NDF transactions being commingled with an unrelated JICA-funded project in ODPEM&rsquo;s capital account.&nbsp;
The Auditor General recommended that ODPEM urgently develop a disaster relief expenditure plan, formalise its agreement with the FSI, open a dedicated NDF bank account, and establish a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to strengthen beneficiary selection and programme oversight.
The Auditor General&rsquo;s Department released a real-time compliance audit of Hurricane Melissa Relief Initiative, focusing on financial management and the Government-directed Roof Restoration Programme.
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The Auditor General’s Department found that of the $1.44 billion received by ODPEM after Hurricane Melissa, 1.8 per cent of the total was utilised.

Billions Donated for Post Melissa Relief Sitting Idly