ST. JOHN, Antigua – Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, leaves here on Monday as part of a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) delegation expressing solidarity with Jamaica following the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28 as a category 5 storm that killed 45, with 13 other people missing.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne (Left) and Andrew Holness (File Photo)Jamaican authorities said that the storm, the worst hurricane to hit the area since 1988, left an estimated 90,000 households and 360,000 people affected by the damage.
Prime Minister Browne, who is being accompanied by his wife and Minister Maria Browne, said the visit will focus on Montego Bay and surrounding communities in St. James, one of the areas hardest hit by the hurricane.
The delegation will meet with Prime Minister Andrew Holness, local leaders, assess recovery efforts, and support regional coordination on relief and reconstruction.
“As CARICOM brothers and sisters, we cannot stand by when one of our own is suffering. Jamaica has endured an unimaginable blow, and we must rally around its people — not just in messages of comfort, but with action, coordinated support, and a shared commitment to rebuild.
“Our visit to Montego Bay is deeply symbolic: to show that we stand in solidarity, to assess first-hand where help is most needed, and to work together on building back not just what was lost, but what is necessary for a more resilient future,” Prime Minister Browne said.
His wife, who is the Minister for Housing, Land and Urban Renewal, said “it breaks my heart to see the destruction and to think of families who lost loved ones and their homes.
“ I join the people of Jamaica in mourning, and in hope — hope for renewal, reconstruction, and unity in the Caribbean.” Twenty-eight fatalities are associated with the passage of Hurricane Melissa over Jamaica.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025, as a devastating Category 5 storm, unleashing sustained winds reported at up to 185 miles per hour (mph) and causing catastrophic damage across western and southern parishes.
In Montego Bay, entire roofs were torn off homes, and debris littered roads. The storm severely damaged infrastructure, including critical public buildings and Sangster International Airport.
According to Prime Minister Holness, the damage from Melissa is estimated at as high as seven billion US dollars or about 28 to 32 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) with significant long-term economic impact.
Recovery efforts are underway, but challenges remain: many communities remain cut off due to blocked roads and fallen power lines, and relief is being hampered by the scale of debris — an estimated 5 million tons, or the equivalent of 480,000 truckloads, according to UN and regional agencies.
Regional mechanisms have mobilized swiftly. The Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) activated its Regional Response Mechanism, deploying teams to coordinate with national authorities, international partners, and neighbouring states.
The Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has also played a leading role, sending high-level representatives to Jamaica, delivering essential health supplies and carrying out public health damage assessments.
In a message of unity, the Caribbean Tourism Organization reaffirmed its commitment, declaring: “One Caribbean will rise stronger” in its recovery from Melissa.
“This is about rebuilding homes, infrastructure, public health systems, and economies – but also about preparing for the future. Melissa is a warning: climate change is not coming, it is already here. We must work together as a Caribbean community to invest in resilience and mobilize regional and international support,” said Prime Minister Browne.
He encouraged regional and international partners to support Jamaica’s recovery efforts, including through CARICOM-led channels, development agencies, and multilateral institutions.
Prime Minister Browne’s mission underscores Antigua and Barbuda’s and CARICOM’s unwavering solidarity with Jamaica. It is a tangible demonstration of regional unity in the face of disaster, and a call to collective action to rebuild stronger, smarter, and more resilient.
“As the region confronts the challenges of recovery, the leadership of CARICOM — embodied in this visit — is a powerful affirmation that when one Caribbean nation falters, the rest stand ready to help lift it up,” Prime Minister Browne added.
