KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has described as “unprecedented”, the US$6.7 billion of international financial support mobilised for Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.

“The international community has responded to Jamaica with remarkable solidarity, urgency, and confidence,” Holness said Tuesday during a statement to the House of Representatives.

He pointed to Monday’s announcement that the International Financial Institutions — the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, Inter-American Development Bank, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Caribbean Development Bank — had jointly approved a three-year coordinated financing package of up to US$6.7 billion to support Jamaica’s recovery, reconstruction, and long-term resilience.

“Even before the announcement of this substantial international financing package, we already had in place a multi-layered disaster risk financing framework, which was the product of years of strategic planning, disciplined financial management, and proactive investment in resilience,” said Holness.

He noted that “This framework enabled rapid early response and the immediate mobilisation of liquidity to meet the most urgent needs following Hurricane Melissa. Within days, Jamaica activated several instruments across our risk-financing architecture”.

Continuing, he said, “This is the single largest and most comprehensive development-financing package ever assembled for Jamaica. It gives us the liquidity, the fiscal space, and the multi-year investment framework required to rebuild stronger and secure our future.

“Securing support of this magnitude within one month of Hurricane Melissa is nothing short of historic. It reflects sustained, direct and proactive engagement at the highest levels.