Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, is advising that Jamaicans in Cuba are safe, based on reports out of Jamaica’s Embassy in Havana following the passage of Hurricane Ian.
According to the Foreign Minister, the Embassy of Jamaica in Havana has reported that, “We await the return of electricity at the Embassy, but have been able to ascertain that so far, all our students as well as our home-based and locally recruited staff are unharmed. Initial reports indicate that there are no casualties within the Jamaican community, but we are remaining vigilant in light of reports of widespread devastation to property and infrastructure. We are also encouraged by news that the government and people of Cuba have already started to mobilize action for restoration and recovery.”
The Minister shared that The Government of Jamaica is also closely monitoring the situation of our Jamaican nationals living in Florida, USA and pray for their safety as they prepare to feel the effects of Hurricane Ian.
“Where communication channels allow, we continue to monitor the situation of our staff and community through our Embassy in Havana and our Consulate-General in Miami and will update the public accordingly,” said the Minister. “We continue to encourage members of the community to stay tuned to official US news channels and emergency operations guidance on evacuation, shelters and access to rescue and response”.
Johnson Smith reiterated that Jamaica stands with the Governments and people of Cuba and the United States during this difficult time.
