HAMILTON, Canada

The UN Development Program (UNDP) on Thursday said that nearly 5 million metric tons of debris were generated across western Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa struck the island on Oct. 28.

"Initial estimates show that the damage caused is approximately the equivalent of 30% of Jamaica's GDP, a figure that's expected to rise," Kishan Khoday, UNDP resident representative for the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, said at a virtual briefing, adding that the "devastating hurricane left a trail of destruction across western Jamaica and central Jamaica."

Khoday noted that "UNDP, through our digital Impact Assessment platform, AI-powered tools, has seen that close to 5 million metric tons of debris have been created across western Jamaica. This would fill approximately 500,000 standard truckloads."

"To give you a sense of the scale of the magnitude, this includes 2 million metric tons of building debris from the buildings that have been damaged, 1.3 million tons of vegetation debris, unimaginable destruction of forests and landscape in western Jamaica, (and) 1.4 million metric tons of personal property debris," he added.

He said UNDP's efforts will focus on "recovery plans and strategies, on SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and livelihoods recovery, on solar for community needs for debris removal, and restoration of ecosystems."

Hurricane Melissa has battered Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba since late October, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. According to local reports, the death toll across Haiti and Jamaica from widespread flooding and landslides caused by Hurricane Melissa has risen to 75 as of Wednesday.

In Cuba, where official death figures have not yet been released, the UN estimates that around 2.2 million people have been affected, with damage reported to around 60,000 homes, 461 health centers, and 1,552 schools.