Cruise Lines Bring Aid for Hurricane-Battered Jamaica
Foreign relief efforts are beginning to flood into Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, bringing aid for thousands of people affected by the category five storm. The powerful storm has shut down the nation's tourism industry, and the cost of the physical damage alone is believed to equal about one-third of Jamaica's annual domestic product.
The Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Trent arrived off Falmouth, Jamaica on November 4 to deliver a company of disaster-response specialists from 24 Commando Royal Engineers, the combat engineering force attached to the Royal Marines. The unit will help local authorities assess and repair storm damage, starting with Falmouth Hospital. Trent was already forward-deployed in the Turks and Caicos for the hurricane season, on station to respond to storm damage. The Royal Navy typically maintains at least one vessel in the region during the months of highest risk in order to assist Commonwealth states, like Jamaica.
Meanwhile, cruise lines have been making relief aid deliveries to Jamaica during scheduled itineraries in the Caribbean. Carnival Horizon called at Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Tuesday to deliver bottled water, preserved foods, baby food, daipers and other necessaries. Carnival also joined in a drive to donate $1 million to local recovery project.
On the same day, Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas offloaded more than 120 pallets of relief aid in Falmouth, including bedding, food, bottled water and other essentials for displaced residents. No guests disembarked, and the call was only for aid delivery. In addition, the cruise line has pledged to donate more than $1 million in aid to Jamaica and to the Bahamas.
A U.S. military task force has been on the ground since last week, providing the services of multiple helicopters and about 40 servicemembers. The unit has provided transportation to deliver relief supplies from distribution hubs in Kingston to outlying areas in Montego Bay and Black River. Two U.S. Navy amphibs are also in the region with elements of the U.S. Marine Corps' 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard, if required, but have not joined in the mission.
Jamaica is a longtime partner to the cruise industry, but normal port calls have been paused for now, and tourism may take time to recover. Jamaica's tourism minister told KVUE that it may take until mid-December for some regions to get back to normal. For now, the situation on the ground is difficult enough that U.S. citizens are advised to reconsider any travel plans to the island, according to the U.S. State Department.