As Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica as a category 5 storm, agencies continue mobilising supplies to support affected communities, with one senior official on the island telling UN News that Government-led preparations have been nothing short of extraordinary.

With Hurricane Melissa threatening to unleash torrential rains and hurricane-force winds across the Caribbean, at least 1.6 million children are at risk as families in Jamaica, Haiti and surrounding islands brace for flooding, landslides and widespread disruption.

Millions in Jamaica and across the Caribbean are bracing for massive impact from Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday as the UN and partners warn of a severe and immediate threat.

Latest news reports say wind speeds have reached 165mph (270km/h) while storm surges of 13 feet (3.9 metres) are expected to lash the Caribbean island nation.

Conditions are expected to significantly worsen with a third of the island already experiencing power cuts amid what US hurricane forecasters are describing as an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is coordinating a sea-lift operation from Barbados, carrying essential supplies from the International Organization for Migration, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF), andWFPitself.

Some 2,000 relief kits are also planned for deployment once airports reopen and the weather conditions permit flights, said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

In collaboration with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and a joint aid hub established in Barbados, WFP is instrumental in the ongoing disaster response, with support from the European Union and Canada, emphasised Mr. Dujarric.

UN ramps up relief efforts

The slow-moving hurricane is expected to make landfall overnight local time in Cuba, to the northeast with authorities planning to evacuate around half a million people to safer ground.

In Haiti, authorities have placed the departments of South and GrandAnse on red alert, while other areas remain on orange alert.

More than 3,600 people are sheltering in emergency sites in the Grand Sud dpartement, withIOMsupporting sheltering of 3,000 people preventively and the setting up of 100 shelters, underscored Mr. Dujarric.

In addition, the UN and its partners continue to work closely with Haitian authorities to support preparedness and early action.

• WFP has pre-positioned more than 800 metric tons of food to assist 86,000 people in Haiti for two weeks.
• UNICEF has pre-positioned water, sanitation, and hygiene kits for about 14,500 people and nutritional supplies for more than 4,000 children.
• The UN reproductive health agency (UNFPA) has stocked reproductive health kits for 5,000 people and dignity kits for 4,000 people
• The WHO-led Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has provided medical kits for about 11,000 people.

Tremendous winds

The latest forecasts indicate winds reaching 280km per hour stronger than initially expected, according to theUNESCORepresentative in Jamaica, Eric Falt.

People often overlook the storm surge, he told us, which can raise sea levels by three or four meters.

He also noted that Hurricane Melissa is a slow-moving storm, which poses a major problem.

It could stay over an area for 12 hours, maybe even two days or more, which causes massive water accumulation.

Emphasising the Jamaican Governments extraordinary level of preparedness and the strong sense of solidarity across the Caribbean, the UNESCO representative noted that, despite the UNs extensive readiness efforts, nature ultimately dictates her will.

He added that UN agencies continue to work closely together to respond to the evolving situation.