Relief Supplies Dispatched for Belizean Students After Storm Hits Jamaica

The Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Culture & Immigration, has dispatched relief supplies to about 75 Belizean students studying in Jamaica and others in Santiago de Cuba following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

The aid comprises essential hygiene items and canned food, transported aboard a Jamaica Defence Force aircraft that had taken shelter in Belize during the storm. In Jamaica, distribution is being coordinated by Ms Elecif Arthurs, Belize’s honorary consul in Kingston, while the Belizean Embassy in Havana is supporting students in Cuba.

Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Fonseca said the government is grateful to Jamaica for caring for Belizean students during the storm and affirmed Belize’scommitment to their safety. The ministry has reported that all Belizean students in Jamaica and Cuba are accounted for.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall near Jamaica’s southwest coast with sustained winds of 185 mph and heavy rainfall, ranking as the strongest storm ever to strike Jamaica by some estimates. The storm caused widespread power outages, flooding, structural damage and infrastructure collapse across western Jamaica.

The relief effort follows social media criticism in Belize over limited support for Belizean students in Jamaica after the storm.