DPI – Guyana will immediately support the rebuilding of 200 roofs in Jamaican communities affected by hurricane Melissa, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced as he visited some of the hardest-hit areas and pledged rapid, coordinated assistance through the CARICOM mechanism.
The president said the initiative, agreed upon with Prime Minister Holness and other regional partners, will be launched in the communities he visited and will see Guyana providing both manpower and materials to accelerate reconstruction.
“We are going to, in a very quick manner, mobilise resources… to start with having 200 roofs completely redone,” the president said.
President Ali described the widespread destruction as “indescribable,” noting that even extensive regional media coverage could not capture the true scale of the damage.
“You have to be here to see this devastation,” he said, adding that the resilience, strength and character of the Jamaican people “speak volumes about the Jamaican spirit.”
He commended Prime Minister Holness and his team for their on-the-ground engagement and for mobilising international and regional support.
Guyana, he noted, has been in contact with Jamaica since the storm was first projected as a major disaster, supplying critical early-phase equipment along with technical and logistical assistance.
A major shipment of additional supplies, including food products, rice, tarpaulins, building materials and flatbeds, is scheduled to arrive this weekend.
President Ali emphasised that this expanded support is part of a broader CARICOM effort to ensure families are under some form of safe shelter before the Christmas season.
He described Prime Minister Hollis’ target as “remarkable” and assured that Guyana will work closely to help meet it.
A full team from the Guyana Defence Force will also be deployed as part of the CARICOM mission. President Ali stressed that the unified response reflects the true purpose of the regional community.
“This is why we are a community, because in times like these, the community pulls strength from each other, draws strength from each other, and supports each other,” he said.
“To the people of Jamaica,” the President added, “we want you to know you have our love and our support.”
