House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Meeks and Clarke Lead Letter to Secretary Rubio Urging Humanitarian and Recovery Assistance to Jamaica in Wake of Hurricane Melissa

Washington, D.C. - Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) led 56 of their colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the Trump administration to continue immediate humanitarian and recovery assistance to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

"We write to express our deep concern and solidarity with the people of Jamaica following the catastrophic passage of Hurricane Melissa. We welcome the deployment of a Disaster Assistance Response Team and respectfully urge the Department of State to continue immediate humanitarian and recovery assistance to support Jamaica's response to this unprecedented disaster." The Members continued, "Hurricane Melissa represents one of the gravest natural disasters in Jamaica's modern history. Beyond the immediate humanitarian crisis, this storm threatens to destabilize key sectors of Jamaica's economy and exacerbate existing vulnerabilities across the Caribbean. The United States, as Jamaica's close neighbor and ally, is uniquely positioned to lead in providing both emergency relief and strategic support for rebuilding a stronger, more resilient Jamaica. Assisting Jamaica at this critical juncture aligns with America's humanitarian values and our shared interest in a stable, prosperous, and climate-resilient Caribbean region. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and we look forward to your prompt action to provide stability that this moment demands."

The full text of the letter is available here.