African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced a donation of US$1.1 million to the governments of Jamaica and Haiti to support their recovery efforts following the devastation caused by hurricane Melissa in October.Hurricane Melissa, which passed through the northern Caribbean, unleashed unprecedented devastation on a number of countries in the region, including Haiti and Jamaica both of which are Afreximbank member states. According to letters of solidarity sent by Dr George Elombi, president of Afreximbank, to the respective governments, $600,000 of the donation will go to Jamaica and US$500,000 to Haiti.
The donation followed separate meetings held on 31 October and 3 November between Dr Elombi and H.E. Laurent Saint-Cyr, chairman of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti, and Andrew Holness, prime minister of Jamaica, respectively, during which he expressed condolences and affirmed Afreximbank’s commitment to supporting the two countries in their rebuilding efforts.President Elombi informed the two leaders that Afreximbank would engage with relevant agencies and authorities to explore the possibility of developing country programmes to support recovery projects in the two countries. To this end, the Caribbean office of the bank was mandated to engage with both governments to explore ways of providing further support towards the reconstruction process.
According to the United Nations, hurricane Melissa, which reached Category 5 in Jamaica, impacted more than 1.6 million people in the country.President Dr Elombi, captured the urgency of the moment, stating:“We commiserate with our brothers and sisters in Haiti, Jamaica, and other places devastated by hurricane Melissa. While extending our support towards immediate relief efforts in the region, we recognise the scale of damage to vital infrastructure and to people’s livelihoods. We remain steadfast in our support for recovery and restoration efforts and in building our collective resilience against future climate shocks.”
The Caribbean hurricane season runs from June to November when the region experiences increased weather systems, like tropical storms and hurricanes, characterised by destructive winds, storm surges and excessive rainfall. Researchers have predicted that the severity of hurricanes will continue to intensify as a result of climate change and have partially attributed the severity of hurricane Melissa, described as “one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded”, to the especially high temperatures in the Caribbean this year.Afreximbank will continue to work with Caribbean governments, through the bank’s CARICOM office based in Barbados, to explore long-term financing solutions that strengthen resilience, restore livelihoods, and reinforce critical infrastructure for the future.
In 2024, Afreximbank contributed over USD 500,000 to support disaster relief and rebuilding efforts across Caribbean countries affected by hurricane Beryl. This move further reflects the bank’s ongoing commitment to assisting nations disproportionately impacted by climate-related disasters
