On October 28, 2025, Jamaica was severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa, a Category five hurricane that caused widespread devastation especially in the western areas of the island. The government launched a coordinated relief effort, with ODPEM as the central agency responsible for emergency response and recovery operations. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), established as a body corporate under the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) of 2015, is the entity mandated to oversee national disaster management^[1]. ODPEM functions as the central agency responsible for coordinating emergency response efforts and managing the delivery of relief services. This included immediate relief efforts and the establishment of a disaster relief website to manage donations and aid logistics.

The audit sought to examine whether ODPEM effectively ensured the transparency and accountability of resources received and utilised under the Hurricane Melissa Relief Initiative. In addition, the audit evaluated the adequacy of internal control systems designed to prevent and detect potential fraud, waste, and abuse of public resources during disaster response and recovery activities. This report is the second in a series of audit reports intended to evaluate multiple aspects of the Hurricane Melissa Relief Initiative. Specifically, this report covers the oversight responsibilities of the National Disaster Fund Committee, procurement activities from the National Disaster Fund, acquisition and distribution of Starlink devices and inventory and stores management.