Hurricane Melissa: British Red Cross specialist volunteers to join Foreign Office team supporting UK nationals in Jamaica
3 November 2025
A team of two British Red Cross Psychosocial Support Volunteers are travelling to Jamaica to support UK nationals impacted by Hurricane Melissa. The team will work alongside members of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Rapid Deployment Team (RDT), providing vital assistance on the ground.
The Red Cross team will provide emotional support, and are trained to help people cope with the immediate aftermath of crises. They will work alongside the RDT team, who will focus on delivering practical assistance.
The volunteers are part of the British Red Cross Psychosocial Support Team (PST), a specialist team established in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Over the past 20 years, volunteers of the Red Cross PST team have supported people through more than 100 major emergencies - from natural disasters and evacuations to terrorist attacks such as the Grenfell Tower fire and London Bridge attack in the UK, and international responses including the Nepal earthquake, the Sousse terror attack in Tunisia, and recent evacuations from Sudan and Gaza.
The British Red Cross volunteers deployed to Jamaica bring extensive experience in trauma care and humanitarian response. One is a specialist in trauma-informed wellbeing and psychological services, while the other is a clinical psychologist and therapist who developed a pioneering therapy for children affected by conflict and disaster.
Laura Scott, Head of Crisis Response and Resilience at the British Red Cross, said:
“Our specialist volunteers are trained to provide calm, compassionate support to those impacted by trauma, helping people feel safe and supported at a time of crisis. We know from our experience responding to emergencies in the UK and overseas that everyone has different needs in a crisis - and our volunteers are there to listen, reassure and help people begin to process what’s happened.
“As Hurricane Melissa leaves devastation in its wake, we are proud to stand alongside the Foreign Office in supporting British nationals in Jamaica.”
In addition to the overseas deployment of its PST volunteers - which is covered under the partnership with the FCDO - the British Red Cross is also supporting the response on the ground via its Disaster Fund.
The Jamaica Red Cross has been proactively supporting communities affected by preparing essential supplies and managing shelters. Across the Caribbean, Red Cross teams have been mobilising as Melissa continues its trajectory across the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti. With the support of the wider Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, they will continue to be there for as long as they are needed.
About the British Red Cross
For over 150 years, the British Red Cross has helped people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. With millions of volunteers in over 190 countries, the British Red Cross is part of an international humanitarian Movement that’s there for people before, during and after a crisis. Together, we are the world’s emergency responders. www.redcross.org.uk