MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE
2 Port Royal Street, Kingston
MEDIA RELEASE
Johnson Smith welcomes $60M Disaster Response and Medical Supplies Donation from India.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, has welcomed a donation to Jamaica of humanitarian and emergency medical supplies valued at over $60 million from the Republic of India.
Johnson Smith said the donation comes at a critical time, as Jamaica prepares for the start of the Atlantic hurricane season in June. She added that the support from India will directly contribute to the
Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen disaster response and healthcare delivery in the context of climate-related shocks and public health emergencies
“On behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, I warmly welcome and thank the Government and people of the Republic of India for this expression of friendship. In fact, as we approach the start of a new Hurricane season, the donation is even more timely and valuable. The inclusion of 4 neonatal incubators, 1,000 solar-powered lanterns, 12 commercial-grade generators, and 160 UPS units to ensure operability of medical equipment will significantly enhance Jamaica’s ability to respond to natural disasters and health emergencies”, said Minister Johnson Smith as she delivered remarks at a handover ceremony earlier today.
Minister Johnson Smith also acknowledged the longstanding ties between both countries, noting that the support comes as Jamaica continues to recover from billions of dollars in losses caused by Hurricane Beryl in July last year. “The ties between Jamaica and India run deep, spanning over sixty years of formal diplomatic relations and rooted even further in shared history and people-to-people
connections. We also share a vision for disaster-resilient development, reflected in India’s leadership and Jamaica’s membership in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure among other initiatives. This latest donation is yet another true example of South-South cooperation”, Senator Johnson Smith said.
The Foreign Minister referenced India’s earlier support during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Jamaica
received its first batch of vaccines and essential medical supplies from India in 2021. She described this latest donation, which also includes nearly 2000 digital blood pressure machines, 12 vaccine
refrigerators, 800 transport oxygen cylinders and another 2000 pocket pulse oximeters, as a continuation of that spirit of friendship. “This and other undertakings have propelled our cooperation to new heights, and we reaffirm our shared priority of strengthening ties not only at the bilateral level,
but in regional and multilateral fora”, the Minister said.
The donated items have been delivered to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) for storage and distribution as appropriate.
Jamaica and the Republic of India established diplomatic relations on August 12, 1962.
