India Sends 20 Tonnes Of Relief Material For Jamaica And Cuba After Hurricane Melissa

An Indian Air Force flight dispatched from India on Tuesday to deliver 20 tonnes of

humanitarian aid for the hurricane-hit Jamaica and Cuba, External Affairs Minister

(MEA) S Jaishankar said. Sharing the details in a post on X, the EAM said that

the relief material includes Aarogya Maitri BHISHM Cube, rehabilitation support items,

food & daily utilities, medicines, medical equipment, power generators, shelter

support and hygiene kits.

"Dispatched 20 tonnes each of HADR relief materials for Jamaica and Cuba in the

aftermath of #HurricaneMelissa. @IAF_MCC flight carrying aid including Aarogya

Maitri BHISHM Cube, rehabilitation support items, food & daily utilities, medicines,

medical equipment, power generators, shelter support and hygiene kits has departed

from New Delhi today. India stands with our Global South partners in the face of such

natural disasters and will assist our friends in recovery and reconstruction," he wrote.

Hurricane Melissa has left at least 50 people dead in the Caribbean as it finally

moves away after devastating communities in Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba, with

authorities warning that the death toll could rise further, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Al Jazeera, the hurricane struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm on

Tuesday, causing widespread destruction. More than 60 per cent of the island remains

without power, and nearly half of the water systems are offline.

Jamaica's Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said that while 19 deaths have

been confirmed, credible reports suggest up to five additional fatalities may be

identified.

Cuba reported no deaths as of Friday but faced severe flooding after more than

735,000 people were evacuated from the eastern part of the island. The Cauto River

overflowed, forcing emergency workers to conduct rescues using boats and military

vehicles in waist-deep floodwaters. Some areas received up to 380mm (15 inches) of

rainfall, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Experts have said that Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever

recorded in the region, was made four times more likely by human-induced climate

change, according to a study by Imperial College London, as reported by Al Jazeera.