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Introduction
On 4 November 2025, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness addressed the nation in a solemn press briefing following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa — a Category 5 storm that made landfall in Jamaica and has now been described as the worst in the island’s recorded history.
In his statement, Holness outlined the scale of the disaster, the government’s response framework, and longer-term aspirations for rebuilding and resilience.
The scale of the disaster
Holness began by painting a stark picture of the damage: the hurricane struck near New Hope in the parish of Westmoreland with sustained winds of up to 185 mph and a minimum central pressure of 892 millibars — marking it as the first ever direct hit by a Category 5 hurricane on Jamaica in recorded history.
He emphasised that the storm did not merely damage infrastructure—“its force was so immense that seismographs hundreds of miles away registered its passage.”
In financial terms, Holness estimated damages equivalent to 28–32 % of Jamaica’s GDP, and a projected short-term economic output drop of around 8–13 %.
Immediate government response
Holness detailed a phased response plan:
• Immediate relief: Search-and-rescue, emergency shelters, provision of basic services such as food, water and medical aid.
• Emergency relief & stabilisation: Clearing debris, restoring utilities, restoring access to cut-off communities, supporting displaced persons.
• Recovery & reconstruction: Longer-term rebuilding with stronger infrastructure, resilient to future storms. Holness stated: “Every repaired bridge, re-roofed home and rebuilt road must be designed for the storms of tomorrow, not the storms of yesterday.”
Holness announced that the entire island had been formally declared a disaster area under Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Act, enabling the government to mobilise emergency powers, funding, and coordinate across agencies.
Key measures and mobilisation
• The government pre-emptively opened hundreds of shelters in schools, churches and community centres, and deployed trained personnel before the storm’s landfall.
• The electricity, water and telecommunications sectors were placed on high alert: the National Works Agency, the Jamaica Public Service, the National Water Commission all worked to secure infrastructure and activate backup systems.
• A logistics hub model was set up for marooned communities: Holness gave a list of more than 30 remote communities in western parishes that had been cut-off and now were being reached via relief “hubs and spokes”.
• To expedite relief, customs duty and GCT (General Consumption Tax) exemptions were extended for relief supplies until the end of December 2025. Moreover, consumers were allowed to import Starlink terminals, solar panels, batteries and inverters duty-free to get power and connectivity restored.
Challenges & realities
Holness did not shy away from acknowledging the enormity of the task ahead. He noted that the government lacked sufficient helicopters, social workers, engineers, and doctors in some of the hardest-hit terrain — which underlined the need for outside assistance and strong logistical coordination.
He also cautioned that “there may very well be bodies that have not yet been collected” and “a child that is hungry as I speak” — emphasising humility and urgent action.
International aid and climate dimension
In the briefing and subsequent comments, Holness framed Hurricane Melissa as not just a natural disaster, but a climate event at the edge of physical possibility. He said “experts describe Melissa to be on the very edge of what is physically possible in the Atlantic Ocean, a storm powered by record sea temperatures.”
He invited regional partners, development agencies, and the private sector to join Jamaica’s recovery effort, and emphasised that this was a test of global solidarity in the face of intensifying storms.
The path-forward: rebuilding stronger
Holness stressed that moving beyond relief, the focus must shift to resilience:
• Rebuilding homes, schools, hospitals and public utilities with future-proof designs
• Accelerating reopening of schools: Holness laid out three priorities — safe reopening where possible, continuity via blended/remote learning, and accelerated reconstruction of permanent classrooms.
• Mobilising citizens: A national Clean-Up Week (or potentially month) will be launched, with local MPs coordinating community mobilisation and small stipends to support a restart of economic activity.
• Ensuring aid is non-political: Holness emphasised that there will be no politicisation of relief efforts. “Every Jamaican is entitled to the aid that comes in… It never happened in COVID. It never happened in Beryl, and it will not happen.”
Analysis & implications
1. Economic impact: The damage estimate (28-32 % of GDP) underscores that Jamaica is facing not just a humanitarian crisis but a major economic shock. Recovery will strain public finances, increase debt-to-GDP ratios, and likely push the government to prioritise fiscal discipline even as relief spending accelerates.
2. Climate urgency: By framing Melissa as “a warning”, Holness is linking the event to global climate change and demanding that Jamaica rebuild not just what was lost but what it will need going forward. This may strengthen Jamaica’s calls for climate financing, debt relief, and stronger global partnerships.
3. Resilience over restoration: The repeated theme of “storms of tomorrow” signals a policy shift from simply restoring to pre-storm status, to redesigning systems to withstand greater intensity. This is meaningful for infrastructure, housing, education and utilities.
4. Logistics & coordination: The realignment of the national disaster response by placing the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) under the Office of the Prime Minister highlights the recognition that coordination and speed are vital in mega-disasters.
5. Social contract and trust: Holness’ emphasis on non-politicisation of aid, community mobilisation and transparency is important in maintaining public trust during crisis. Given the scale of the disaster, citizen patience may be tested.
Conclusion
Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ press briefing on the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa made clear the gravity of the crisis facing Jamaica — physically, economically and socially. At the same time, it positioned the government’s response with three key pillars: urgent relief, structured recovery, and future-proof rebuilding.
While many challenges remain — from infrastructure to logistics, funding to resilience — the tone of the briefing was one of commitment, realism and long-term vision. Jamaica’s next weeks and months will test the effectiveness of that response, and whether it can translate crisis into an opportunity for stronger, more resilient growth.
Attached is a news article regarding hurricane mellisa recovery
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/11/1166283
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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