Guyana sends first shipment of hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica

Guyana has dispatched its first shipment of essential equipment and materials to aid in the immediate recovery and humanitarian response efforts in Jamaica, which was recently battered by Hurricane Melissa. This was disclosed by President Dr Irfaan Ali in a social media post on Sunday evening. The Guyanese Head of State had previously reassured Jamaican Prime Minister (PM) Andrew Holness of Guyana’s full readiness to offer support to the Caribbean country and its people.
The Guyana Government, through the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in coordination with key national agencies and private sector partners, has been mobilising emergency relief supplies to support the Government and people of Jamaica in the aftermath of the natural disaster. Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica last Tuesday as a category 5 storm with winds of up to 185 mph, causing significant destruction to properties and infrastructure, widespread disruption of essential services, and displacement of communities across affected areas.
Over the weekend, PM Holness reported that the death toll rose to 28 and hinted that this number could further increase. The western part of the island faced the worst of the destruction with some communities still under water.

Last Thursday, Guyana’s CDC said they were leading the mobilisation of Humanitarian Relief Support for the island nation including critically-needed supplies such as generators, tarpaulins, and chainsaws to support immediate response efforts on the ground. PM Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips had convened a high-level coordination meeting with the CDC, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to finalise Guyana’s support actions for the devastated Caribbean Island. This support is being executed through a collaborative Government-private sector initiative under the coordination of the CDC and the leadership of the PM. PM Phillips had told the Guyana Times that Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has put out a document outlining the immediate needs of the country and it based on that list, which is being regularly updated, that the local stakeholders are mobilising relief. Moreover, the CDC has been continuously working closely with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and other regional partners to support ongoing relief efforts. Director General of the CDC, Colonel (Ret’d) Nazrul Hussain, has also indicated that Guyana stands ready to provide additional technical, logistical, and humanitarian assistance as recovery needs evolve. Key teams, including the Guyana-CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit (G-CDRU) and the CARICOM Operational Support Team (COST), are currently on standby for deployment to assist with response and recovery efforts on the ground.
Additionally, the PSC has been raising monetary donations.
Meanwhile, the category five hurricane – the strongest type – has also caused dozens of deaths across the Caribbean, bringing powerful winds and landslides to Cuba and Haiti.