As Jamaica continues to receive help from this country, it is also receiving assistance from its other partners including the United States which has increased its financial assistance to the island.
00:01Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Onnes met with United States Undersecretary of State Jeremy Lewin in Jamaica as it continues the first stages of its recovery from the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which hit the island as a Category 5 hurricane late last month.
00:18And the U.S. Undersecretary of State gave an update on the level of assistance the U.S. is providing to Jamaica.
00:24I'm announcing an additional $10 million in critical life-saving assistance to the people of Jamaica.
00:30That brings our total to $22 million U.S. dollars to date.
00:36The financial commitments are only one side of it.
00:39That doesn't include all the military personnel, all the search and rescue, but the financial commitments are very significant and help underscore just how important Jamaica is to the United States.
00:49A reference to the assistance being provided by the U.S. military, which has increased its presence in the Caribbean as part of what the U.S. government maintains is its war on drug cartels before Hurricane Melissa.
01:01And almost immediately started bringing humanitarian assistance in from our hubs, activating our network of partners, NGOs, from Samaritan's Purse to the U.N. World Food Program.
01:12You know, and in addition, you know, the United States Department of War has significant assets in the region, which we are able to, you know, bring under our control.
01:20So we are able to bring in heavy lift helicopters, nearly 100 military personnel.
01:25They've moved more than half a million.
01:27And that was this morning.
01:28And now they're doing a few more flights.
01:29So it's going to be way more.
01:31Half a million pounds of life-saving aid.
01:34You know, and so their work continues.
01:37Prime Minister Hollis expressed his gratitude to the U.S. on behalf of Jamaica.
01:41Let me welcome Undersecretary Lewin and his team to Jamaica.
01:49And to immediately say thanks on behalf of the people of Jamaica for the support that you have given, which you have now increased from 12 million U.S. dollars with an additional 10 million U.S. dollars, which will go right into the humanitarian relief and support effort.
02:08Prime Minister Hollis ought to put the money being provided by the U.S. for hurricane relief for Jamaica into context.
02:13Now, I know that there are some who will hear these huge figures and believe that it is the extent of the challenge that we face.
02:25But I hasten to add that having been hit by a Category 5 hurricane, the damage that has been done to our economy, to our infrastructure, not to mention to the lives of ordinary Jamaicans, housing, their businesses.
02:48It is in excess, and we have been very conservative.
02:54The damage is between $68 billion U.S. dollars.
02:58Jamaica's Prime Minister said the damage assessment has not yet been completed.
03:03In addition to the assistance Jamaica has been receiving from the international community, it has also been receiving assistance from Trinidad and Tobago and other fellow CARICOM member states.
Be the first to comment