President Mahama rallies African solidarity for storm-ravaged Jamaica, Cuba
Ghana will send some members of the 48th Engineers Army Regiment to assist in the reconstruction of the affected areas in Jamaica.
The team will be made up of men and women with expertise in engineering, masonry and carpentry, to help in the construction of makeshift shelters for the Jamaican people.
President John Dramani Mahama made the announcement at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra last Tuesday evening, during the 80th Anniversary Celebration of the Manchester Declaration, which is referred to as the Fifth Pan-African Congress.
Hosted by the Pan-African Progressive Front (PPF), the two-day conference explored reparations, economic self-determination, and continental unity through revised economic and political programmes that would serve as a roadmap for Africa’s renewal.
Present at the event were former President John Agyekum Kufour, Kwasi Pratt, academics and civil society leaders, among others.
Hurricane Melissa
Jamaica is recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm that hit the country and other Caribbean countries on October 28, 2025.
The hurricane, the strongest on record for the island, caused widespread destruction, including severe damage to infrastructure, significant flooding, and claimed four lives, leading the government to declare the entire country a "disaster area".
Solidarity
President Mahama used the opportunity to rally his fellow African leaders to extend support, not just to hurricane-hit Jamaica, but also to Cuba in the spirit of Pan-Africanism.
He appealed to African nations to extend immediate humanitarian assistance to Jamaica, following the extensive devastation caused by recent powerful storms on the Caribbean island.
The President’s call comes after direct communication with the Jamaican Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, who detailed the urgent and pressing needs of his people.
He stated that Prime Minister Holness, in a telephone conversation, indicated that the primary priority was to provide shelter for the thousands of displaced citizens, moving them from exposure to the harsh elements.
"And so, if you can appeal to our African comrades to come to our aid, the extent of distraction in Jamaica is beyond our capacity alone to repair," President Mahama quoted Prime Minister Holness.
He said he also received a phone call last Monday from Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados, who, together with other Caribbean leaders, was in Jamaica to express solidarity with the People of Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.
The President said for the first time, the Caribbean leaders were seeing the true extent of the destruction that had been caused by Hurricane Melissa.
While calling for continental support,
President Mahama explained that Ghana had already sent some assorted items, such as bags of rice, medication, plastic buckets and bowls, mattresses, blankets, and several other assorted materials to be shared between the people of Jamaica and Cuba.
Africa Union
Meanwhile, President Mahama said the government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had formally notified the African Union (AU) of the crisis.
He explained that the communication to the AU member states outlines the specific requirements for immediate relief, noting that even basic materials such as blankets and tarpaulins would be invaluable, as they could be used to create makeshift tents for temporary shelter.
