Regional leaders to arrive, tour hurricane-hit west today (Photo Credit- jamaica-gleaner)
**SOURCE: jamaica-gleaner-** A team of Caribbean leaders, joined by officials from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is expected to arrive in the island this morning to tour hurricane-ravaged communities in western Jamaica today, alongside Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, chairman of CARICOM.
The delegation, which 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, is scheduled to visit heavily impacted areas in St James, Westmoreland and St Elizabeth. Stops are expected in Westgreen and Catherine Hall, two Montego Bay communities still reeling from the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Melissa.
The Category 5 storm, which slammed into Jamaica on October 28, left a trail of destruction across the island, with western parishes absorbing the worst of its fury. Entire communities were submerged as the Barnett, Pye and Montego rivers overflowed, inundating parts of Montego Bay and crippling businesses, homes and public infrastructure.
In Westmoreland and St Elizabeth, widespread flooding and landslides destroyed roofs, swept away livelihoods and left thousands displaced, with many still without reliable electricity or potable water.
Monday’s tour is expected to give regional leaders a first-hand look at the scale of the humanitarian crisis, as well as the urgent need for coordinated recovery and climate-resilience support. The visit follows strong statements of solidarity from CARICOM governments, many of whom have already mobilised relief supplies, technical teams and financial assistance in the wake of Melissa’s passage.
Barbados has dispatched humanitarian aid and has established a field hospital at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, while other countries have pledged support to Jamaica’s rebuilding efforts.
The IDB, a critical financing partner in the region, is expected to use the tour to help shape discussions around reconstruction funding and long-term climate adaptation, particularly as small island states confront the accelerating threat of extreme weather events.
Holness, in his role as chairman of CARICOM, has emphasised the importance of regional unity and international partnerships in the aftermath of the storm.
Monday’s high-level engagement is likely to inform a broader recovery framework, including housing, infrastructure rehabilitation, and community support for the parishes hardest hit.
Further details of the itinerary are expected from the Office of the Prime Minister.