Disaster Fund Committee missing in action for 24 months
Published:Thursday | February 5, 2026 | 12:16 AMEdmond Campbell/Senior Staff Reporter
The National Disaster Fund Committee (NDFC), which has the critical responsibility of managing the National Disaster Fund (NDF) and signing off on sums to be allocated for relief and other purposes in the wake of a natural disaster, has been non-functional for the past two years.
Alarm bells went off when the director general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) requested $350 million for Hurricane Melissa relief efforts, only to discover that no committee had been appointed.
The 4th Schedule of the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) indicates that the Cabinet, on the advice of the minister, may appoint by instrument in writing the NDFC.
Section 40 of the DRMA requires the financial secretary to approve withdrawals from the NDF after consulting the NDFC.
Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison subsequently approved the withdrawal of the $350 million from the NDF. Of the $350 million, the auditor general said ODPEM has so far drawn down $207 million.
An audit conducted by the Auditor General’s Department indicated that the director general of ODPEM submitted the withdrawal request to support critical relief activities – including food distribution, municipal supplies, and National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) operations – following the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28 last year.
As part of her key audit findings, Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis said the NDFC convened only twice during its tenure, with the last meeting held in June 2022.
The committee was appointed in September 2020, and its term expired in September 2023. However, as at December 2025, the auditor general said there was no evidence of any new appointments, indicating non-compliance with the requirements of the DRMA.
Another revealing finding of the auditor general is that the National Disaster Fund Guidelines document, which is intended to support the administration of the NDF, was in the form of a draft as at December 2025.
In a January 2026 response to the auditor general, the ODPEM said it “will make the necessary representation to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service regarding the appointment of a new fund committee and will conclude its review of the draft committee guidelines no later than January 30, 2026, and submit them for signature by the appropriate authority”.
In an October 28, 2025 letter to the financial secretary, the head of ODPEM said his agency had identified areas of intervention through coordination with local authorities and other stakeholders during pre-disaster and post-disaster planning.
In January 2026, ODPEM reported that consultations had occurred through operational meetings of the NEOC and verbal engagements with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.
However, the auditor general said the ODPEM, despite requests from her department, has not provided meeting minutes or documentary evidence to support its claim that consultation was held with local authorities and key stakeholders.
In her recommendation, Monroe Ellis said the Cabinet, on the advice of the minister of finance and the public service, should take urgent steps to appoint the NDFC to ensure full compliance with the DRMA.
“Prompt establishment of the committee will strengthen oversight of the fund and enable the financial secretary to benefit from the statutory requirement for consultation prior to approving any withdrawals,” the auditor general said.