Barbados and Guyana have announced major aid pledges to help Jamaica recover from Hurricane Melissa, pledging medical support, technical expertise and essential equipment as the extent of the disaster becomes clearer.
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Barbados is deploying a fully equipped field hospital, expected to arrive on Thursday, as well as additional garbage trucks to speed up the cleanup effort. Guyana has deployed Guyana Defense Force engineers to work alongside the Jamaica Defense Force and local authorities to repair 200 roofs in the worst affected areas of Westmoreland. This is part of a broader support package that includes labor, food, water, tarpaulins, chainsaws, generators and storage tanks.
The commitments were highlighted during a high-level CARICOM visit on Monday in which leaders from Guyana, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada toured devastated communities from Montego Bay to Whitehouse, Westmoreland. The visit, supported by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Regional Security System, came as Jamaica announced new figures showing nearly a million people were affected and more than 150,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the destruction as “significant and unprecedented” and told reporters that the storm had caused an estimated $8 billion in physical losses, significantly affecting the country's ability to recover. “We conservatively estimate that about 900,000 Jamaicans were affected and about 150,000 homes were destroyed,” Holness said. “Every aid provided and every commitment made must accelerate the recovery and make Jamaica stronger.”
Holness said Guyana's engineering teams would coordinate with Jamaican counterparts, members of parliament and local councilors to identify the first households for roof replacement. He also noted that debris clearance teams currently operating in St James will be relocated to Whitehouse and Bluefields within days, while modular homes will be procured for medium-term accommodation. A JDF distribution center has already been set up to expand aid deliveries.
Guyana's President Irfaan Ali called the extent of the damage indescribable after touring devastated neighborhoods in Westmoreland and St. James. “You have to be here to see this devastation. There are no words,” Ali said. “But the resilience and strength of the Jamaican people says everything about the Jamaican spirit.” He said the most urgent task was to expedite the first 200 roof repairs: “We want to move very quickly and have 200 roofs completely replaced, starting here in this community. Prime Minister Holness has set a tight timetable to get everyone under some form of protection before Christmas and we will fully support that.”
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne also expressed solidarity, calling Jamaica's situation “significant” and urging residents to remain hopeful. “We are here to stand in solidarity with Prime Minister Holness and the people of Jamaica,” Browne said. “Hurricanes are nothing new to us – they are always devastating – but what you are experiencing now is huge. To hear that up to 900,000 people have been affected is significant.” Browne said Antigua and Barbuda would provide financial support and send soldiers to help. “We as Caribbean people are resilient and this too shall pass. We rebuilt Barbuda after Hurricane Irma and today it is much better than before. Jamaica can also rebuild bigger and better.”
Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell reiterated this message, noting that Jamaica can count on the region's full support. “We wanted to show our solidarity with the government and people of Jamaica because we understand the challenges you face; we have overcome them ourselves,” Mitchell said. “The support of our brothers and sisters in the region has helped us get back on our feet and we want to do the same for Jamaica.”
As the leaders concluded their trip, Holness said disciplined financial management over the past decade had helped Jamaica mobilize international support despite massive revenue losses. “Our financial situation is a matter of great concern and needs to be carefully managed,” he said. “But today I see an opportunity to build back better and stronger and to fix what was wrong in the first place.”
He thanked residents for their patience and said recovery efforts would be intensified in the coming days. “If we work together, we can recover like before.”