The Jamaican Government has received US$200,000 and a variety of medical equipment from the Cayman Islands to support Jamaica’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Beryl.
The donation was presented to Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Thursday, July 18, by Premier of the Cayman Islands, Hon. Julianna O’Connor-Connolly, during a working visit to Jamaica.
In a meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Holness expressed gratitude to the Cayman Islands for their generous support. “On behalf of the people of Jamaica, we say thanks to our brothers and sisters and, indeed, our family in Cayman for this contribution. This is not a small contribution; it is significant, and we appreciate it,” he said.
Prime Minister Holness assured that the funds would be directed towards assisting those most affected by the hurricane. “I can guarantee you that this will be used to assist the families who have been displaced and dislocated. In fact, this will go into our Disaster Preparedness Fund, managed by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), which will distribute according to need,” he stated.
Cayman Islands a friend to Jamaica
Premier O’Connor-Connolly emphasized the close friendship between the two nations. “Jamaica has so many connections for us. As a woman of faith, I would like to reach out to you as a leader, as a neighbor, as a brother. I was especially delighted to hear that your ports were pretty much up and going, and your airports because you will rise again. It is an honor and a distinct privilege to offer this small token,” she said.
Additionally, Premier O’Connor-Connolly indicated that the Cayman Islands is willing to assist in addressing transmission issues that have hindered the full restoration of utilities in the hardest-hit areas.
During their visit, the Cayman Islands delegation also toured several severely affected areas along Jamaica’s south coast, where torrential rains and gale-force winds caused significant infrastructure damage and agricultural losses.
Read: Caribbean face billions in damage in Hurricane Beryl’s aftermath
