KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United States (US) has pledged an additional US$10 million to support Jamaica’s recovery from the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa.

This latest commitment brings the total financial support from the US Government to US$22 million.

The announcement was made by US Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom, Jeremy Lewin, during a meeting with Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday.

Holness expressed gratitude to the United States, noting that it was among the first international partners to offer support to Jamaica in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

“That support was particularly invaluable, particularly in the logistics operations, which your helicopters would have augmented. We do have some airlift capacity in the JDF (Jamaica Defence Force), but certainly, none in comparison to the United States’ fleet. You made several of your heavy lift helicopters available to us, and that was crucial in our ability to reach several marooned communities,” he said.

The prime minister shared that preliminary estimates place the damage caused by the hurricane at approximately US$68 billion, noting that assessments remain ongoing.

He emphasised that Jamaica’s recovery will inevitably require sustained support from international partners.

“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, and we do take that with some comfort,” Holness stated.

The prime minister advised that the Government will pursue strategic partnerships with the US in the areas of infrastructure investment, technology transfer and commerce as Jamaica enters the post-hurricane reconstruction phase.

In his remarks, Lewin underscored that financial commitments represent only one facet of the US Government’s support for Jamaica’s recovery.

“That doesn’t include all the military personnel and all the search and rescue. The financial commitments are very significant and help underscore just how important Jamaica is to the United States and to the Secretary. Jamaican people, like our people, are proud and resilient, and we have every faith they will rebound quickly and will build back even better,” he said.

Lewin affirmed the US Government’s commitment to providing continued support to Jamaica’s recovery efforts.

“We will be here tomorrow. We will be here next month. We’ll be here for every stage of this recovery,” he assured.

— JIS