Jamaica has received additional humanitarian supplies to support the country’s reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Melissa.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith officially welcomed this assistance on behalf of the government and people of Jamaica during a handover on Friday, March 13.

The donation of 200 prefabricated housing units represents the third tranche of humanitarian assistance provided by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to the government and people of Jamaica.

The units will support the government’s ongoing efforts to provide immediate housing solutions for families left homeless in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which caused an estimated 41 per cent of total damage to residential buildings.

Minister Johnson Smith expressed appreciation to China’s Ambassador to Jamaica Wang Jinfeng, for his government’s continued support, noting that the assistance will strengthen the national reconstruction efforts and provide immediate relief for some families displaced by the hurricane.

On Friday, the Foreign Minister and the Chinese Ambassador were joined by Commander Alvin Gayle, Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), and Wang Youli, counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Kingston.