Republic of Korea donates US$300,000 to support Jamaica’s Post–Hurricane Melissa Recovery

Jamaica: The Republic of Korea has donated $300,000 to Jamaica to help with the post Hurricane Melissa recovery. The announcement of the donation was made at the handover ceremony which took place on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. It was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade on Port Royal Street in downtown Kingston.

This funding will be used for reconstruction of houses and infrastructure and provide relief efforts in Jamaica. Many communities were severely damaged during the hurricane and at least 45 people lost their lives. 

Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025, as a Category 5 storm. It caused wide-scale damage to homes, roads and public infrastructure. Many people and communities lost their means of income, houses, and some were even cut off from the rest of the island due to landslides and floods.

In addition to the cash donation, a non-government organization based in Korea, JTS, has provided Jamaica with food assistance. JTS has donated 200 tons of rice to the island nation. The rice will be given to the most affected and underprivileged communities. The organization also provided one container of baby and women’s items.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea said that the donations are a display of very strong friendship between Korea and Jamaica. They further added this support is to help Jamaicans to recover and rebuild from the disaster.

Kim Jin-wook, who is the chargé d’affaires at the Korean Embassy in Jamaica, said that he saw the damage done by the hurricane himself. “I hope this humble contribution will help as many people as possible return to their normal lives. Our hearts are with Jamaica; Korea stands with Jamaica,” he further noted.