Prime Minister Holness Welcomes Continued U.S. Partnership in Jamaica’s Recovery with Additional USD $10 Million in Hurricane Relief Support
Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness has welcomed the continued partnership between Jamaica and the United States, following the announcement of an additional USD $10 million in humanitarian assistance to strengthen Jamaica’s recovery and relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
The announcement came today during a meeting between Prime Minister Holness and Under Secretary of State for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom, Jeremy Lewin, who led a U.S. delegation to Jamaica to assess the country’s ongoing relief operations.
Prime Minister Holness expressed deep gratitude to the United States for its unwavering support and swift response in the wake of the disaster, noting that the U.S. has now provided a total of USD $22 million in assistance.
“Let me welcome Under Secretary Lewin and his team to Jamaica and immediately say thanks on behalf of the people of Jamaica for the support that you have given, which have now increased from 12 million U.S. dollars with an additional 10 million U.S. dollars, which will go right into the humanitarian relief and support effort.”
Dr. Holness highlighted that several U.S. heavy-lift helicopters were deployed to transport critical supplies and personnel to marooned communities, enabling timely delivery of food, water, medicine, and emergency aid.
“The United States was one of the first responders of our international partners who would have come to give support, and that support was particularly invaluable, particularly in the logistics operations, which your helicopters would have augmented. There are many communities in Jamaica that would have been marooned, and the only way to get to them would have been through the capacity for airlift,” he said.
The Prime Minister further underscored that Jamaica’s recovery will require both international cooperation and national resilience.
“Jamaica’s recovery will inevitably have to include support from our partners, and so it is reassuring to know that the United States, our closest partner in this region, is supportive and willing to provide us with as much help as we need.”
At the same time, Prime Minister Holness reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to building its own capacity to recover.
“Jamaica is investing heavily in its own resilience and its own ability to recover. It is not an easy task to do that, but it is something that we must do as an independent nation to stand on our own two feet and be able to treat with the problems that we face,” Dr. Holness said.
The Prime Minister also noted that the country is now focusing on the most urgent humanitarian needs, including food, shelter, water, and medicine for affected citizens. This will transition into the recovery and reconstruction phases, which will involve restoring critical infrastructure such as electricity, water, telecommunications, and road networks.
Prime Minister Holness said Jamaica looks forward to continued collaboration with the United States during the recovery and reconstruction period, particularly in areas of infrastructure investment, technology transfer, and commerce revitalization.
The Government of Jamaica continues to coordinate with local, regional, and international partners to ensure an efficient, sustained, and compassionate response to the needs of citizens impacted by Hurricane Melissa.