Caribbean leaders to tour hurricane-ravaged communities in Western Jamaica

A team of Caribbean leaders, accompanied by officials from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is visiting western Jamaica today to assess the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The delegation will tour affected communities alongside Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, who also serves as chairman of CARICOM.

The delegation includes Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Guyana President Dr. Irfaan Ali, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett, and IDB President Ilan Goldfajn. They are scheduled to visit the heavily impacted parishes of St. James, Westmoreland, and St. Elizabeth, with stops in Montego Bay communities such as Westgreen and Catherine Hall.

Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane, struck Jamaica on October 28, unleashing widespread destruction across the island. Western parishes were among the hardest hit, with overflowing rivers—including the Barnett, Pye, and Montego—submerging communities, damaging homes and businesses, and crippling public infrastructure.

In Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth, flooding and landslides destroyed roofs, swept away livelihoods, and displaced thousands, many of whom remain without reliable electricity or potable water.

Monday’s tour aims to give regional leaders a first-hand understanding of the humanitarian crisis and underscore the urgent need for coordinated recovery and climate-resilience initiatives. CARICOM members have already mobilized relief supplies, technical teams, and financial assistance in support of Jamaica’s recovery.

Barbados, for example, has dispatched humanitarian aid and established a field hospital at Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, while other member states have pledged support for rebuilding efforts. The IDB is expected to use the visit to inform discussions on reconstruction funding and long-term climate adaptation, critical as small island nations face increasing threats from extreme weather events.

Prime Minister Holness emphasized the importance of regional unity and international partnerships in the storm’s aftermath. Monday’s high-level engagement is anticipated to shape a broader recovery framework, including housing, infrastructure rehabilitation, and community support in the hardest-hit parishes.

Further details of the itinerary are expected from the Office of the Prime Minister.