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A coalition of international lending agencies have announced immediate commitments to assist Jamaica’s recovery effort, in the aftermath of category-five Hurricane Melissa.

A tour of several affected communities in western Jamaica on November 17 highlighted the scale of devastation and ended with a coordinated response from regional and global partners, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), and the World Bank.

President of the IDB, Ilan Goldfajn, said the visit underscored the bank’s solidarity with Jamaica and its readiness to mobilise emergency resources.

“So, I think it is very important we are here. It is very different when you see it in person. We are here to give solidarity. Jamaica has been preparing, both in terms of the fiscal space for years, but also in terms of the instruments,” Goldfajn said.

He explained that the IDB has a contingent credit facility ready to disburse millions of dollars immediately, in addition to grants, housing expertise, and sector-specific financing for recovery.

Regional Manager for CAF and Jamaica country representative, Dr Stacy-Ann Richards-Kennedy, conveyed CAF’s strong solidarity and rapid response.

She disclosed that substantial humanitarian grant funding has already been mobilised in the immediate aftermath of Melissa, with additional grants earmarked to assist Jamaica.

Richards-Kennedy spoke of leveraging CAF’s extensive network of shareholder countries to accelerate relief and rebuilding efforts, including private-sector engagement in Latin America and the Caribbean.

She cited tangible international contributions, including earlier support from El Salvador, which deployed three airplanes with 50 tons of relief supplies, and 300 volunteers.

“We stand with the people and government of Jamaica in making those important strides forward very quickly,” she said.

World Bank Director for Caribbean Countries, Lilia Burunciuc, expressed the World Bank’s steadfast solidarity with Jamaica.

She said that Jamaica faces a crisis of unprecedented magnitude and requires a united, hands-on approach from the international community.

Burunciuc outlined the Bank’s readiness to deploy financial resources, grants, technical assistance, and on-the-ground support to restore essential services—electricity, water, and road networks—and to restore economic activity.

She stressed the goal of rebuilding with resilience, so that Jamaica is better prepared for future disasters and can recover more rapidly. “We are here to work with the others, together with you, to make it happen,” she said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, said that the commitments from the IDB, CAF, and the World Bank reflect a broader, coordinated strategy to accelerate Jamaica’s recovery, with a focus on quick disbursement of emergency resources and long-term investments in resilience.