In a significant show of international solidarity, the Government of Jamaica hosted a senior delegation from Ethiopia this week as both nations moved to deepen bilateral cooperation in disaster recovery and resilience.
The visiting Ethiopian team, led by State Minister Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye, arrived on a mission to explore meaningful avenues of support in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa—a catastrophic weather event that left wide swaths of Jamaica’s southern belt severely affected.
The delegation was formally welcomed at Jamaica House, where they were received by Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister. Discussions centered around post-disaster rehabilitation, long-term recovery planning, and technical collaboration, particularly in areas where Ethiopia has experience in climate resilience and agricultural restoration.
According to Fitz-Henley, the meeting marked a powerful moment of “South-South cooperation,” reflecting not only empathy but also shared history between the two nations. “Jamaica and Ethiopia are bound not merely by diplomatic ties, but by cultural, spiritual, and ancestral threads. This engagement is another testament to that enduring legacy,” he said.
Accompanying the discussions were key figures in Jamaica’s disaster response infrastructure, including Ambassador Rocky Meade, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, and Commander Alvin Gayle, Director General of ODPEM, who provided the Ethiopian delegation with updates on the ground situation and ongoing recovery efforts.
Ambassador Tsegaye will travel across St Elizabeth and Westmoreland—two of the hardest-hit parishes—to assess conditions firsthand. The visit is expected to lay the foundation for practical assistance and deeper strategic alignment between the two governments, particularly in disaster risk management and food system restoration.
This development comes at a time when global cooperation around climate-related disasters is being redefined, and both Jamaica and Ethiopia are asserting themselves as active players in shaping resilient futures through partnerships rooted in history and mutual respect.
