India sends 20 tonnes of relief material for Jamaica and Cuba after Hurricane Melissa

New Delhi [India], November 4 (ANI): 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.

"Despatched 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. (ANI)

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