United Nations Resident Coordinator Dennis Zulu said Thursday that Hurricane Melissa made landfall "around lunchtime" near Black River in Saint Elizabeth parish, Jamaica, producing "tremendous unprecedented devastation" to infrastructure, power and communications and displacing large numbers of people into shelters.

"From what we know thus far, there's been tremendous unprecedented devastation, of infrastructure, of property, roads, network connectivity," Zulu said, adding that energy outages and massive disruption of services have spread across the country. He said UN teams are working with national authorities and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to conduct first assessments and to prioritize life‑sustaining aid.

Why it matters: Zulu said the storm damaged parts of Jamaica considered the island's breadbasket, raising immediate concerns about food security and medium‑term economic effects on tourism and agriculture. "Not only will food crops and fields [be] destroyed, but we also see a possibility, a very likely possibility that Jamaica will have some issues in terms of food security for the coming months," he said.

Key facts and UN actions

- Casualties and shelter: Zulu said the government has so far confirmed three deaths, which he said occurred prior to Melissa's landing; additional injuries have been reported but casualty figures are still under verification. He provided a preliminary estimate — "over a million" people affected — and said about 881 shelters were established and many were activated before the storm.

- Assessments and coordination: "The United Nations is working in partnership with the national authorities and indeed the other partners, both the bilateral and multilateral partners to really undertake the first assessment of the extent of the problem," Zulu said. He named CDEMA and WHO as partners involved in health and response work.

- Logistics and access: Zulu said access and communications are the chief operational challenges: flooded and obstructed roads, downed power lines and limited connectivity are delaying assessments and aid delivery. He said authorities were inspecting airports and the government anticipated that at least one airport in Kingston could open the following day, which would "facilitate an inward flow of resources." Meanwhile, the UN is staging supplies and technical specialists from a hub in Barbados and arranging sea shipments where possible.

- Rescue operations: Zulu confirmed government rescue teams are operating in flooded areas to move marooned residents to shelters. He said work is ongoing where weather conditions and safety permit.

Challenges and outlook

Zulu emphasized the need for coordinated incoming aid: "We do not want to be seen to be imposing," he said, noting the Jamaican government asked partners to channel commitments through official coordination channels to avoid uncoordinated inflows that could hamper relief. He also warned of landslide risk in hilly areas and said satellite imagery and drones are being used to assess inaccessible zones.

The UN described immediate priorities as ensuring water, food, sanitation and shelter, and supporting government efforts to repair or provide temporary housing so displaced people can be returned safely when conditions permit. Zulu said more accurate figures for people affected, injuries and fatalities will emerge as field teams complete assessments.

What remains unknown: Zulu gave a rough estimate that "over a million" people may be affected but said exact numbers were pending completion of assessments; he also said confirmed casualty figures beyond the three reported deaths are not yet available.

Next steps

Zulu said the UN would continue to coordinate with Jamaican authorities, CDEMA and bilateral partners to mobilize relief items and technical personnel from regional hubs and via sea and air once ports are cleared. He offered to return with updates as assessments and operations progress.