KINGSTON, Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness Monday welcomed the visit of several of his Caribbean Community (CARICOM) colleagues to his hurricane battered country saying “Jamaica is grateful for the solidarity being shown and for the reassurance that we do not stand alone."
Prime Minister Andrew Holness (in brown jacket) greeting his fellow CARICOM leaders on arrival in Jamaica on Monday (Photo courtesy of Prime Minister Andrew Holness Facebook page)“Through partnership, unity, and shared purpose, we will rebuild our communities and strengthen our nation’s ability to withstand future challenges,” said Holness, who is also the chairman of the 15-member regional integration movement.
Jamaica was battered by Hurricane Melissa on October 28, as a category 5 storm that killed 45, with 13 other people missing.
Jamaican authorities said that the storm, the worst hurricane to hit the area since 1988, left an estimated 90,000 households and 360,000 people affected by the damage.
Holness, in a post on his Facebook page, said “as Chair of CARICOM, I had the honour of welcoming a Goodwill Mission comprising several CARICOM Heads of Government and leaders from major international organizations for a post–Hurricane Melissa tour in Jamaica”
He said the delegation included his counterparts from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana and Grenada, alongside representatives from the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat , the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and other regional partners.
Earlier Prime Minister Gaston Browne had said that “as CARICOM brothers and sisters, we cannot stand by when one of our own is suffering. Jamaica has endured an unimaginable blow, and we must rally around its people — not just in messages of comfort, but with action, coordinated support, and a shared commitment to rebuild.
“Our visit to Montego Bay is deeply symbolic: to show that we stand in solidarity, to assess first-hand where help is most needed, and to work together on building back not just what was lost, but what is necessary for a more resilient future,” Prime Minister Browne said.
Information Minister, Dr Dana Morris-Dixon, said it is important for the CARICOM mission to get a firsthand view of what has happened in Jamaica, saying “it’s devastating in Westmoreland and St Elizabeth and many other parishes.
“They are going to get to see that today, and we expect as a part of this, we will able to build partnerships for the rebuilding of Jamaica,” she added.
She said that Jamaica has already received aid from its CARICOM neighbours and partners, but it was good that they saw what was happening on the ground.
