How Rwanda is helping Jamaica recover from Hurricane Melissa
Rwanda has deployed a team of military engineers to Jamaica to help rebuild infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Melissa, which struck the Caribbean island last year.
The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) said the engineers were sent under a bilateral agreement between Rwanda and Jamaica aimed at supporting disaster recovery efforts and restoring critical infrastructure destroyed by natural disasters.
Before departing, the contingent was briefed by Brigadier General Faustin Tinka, Commander of the RDF Mechanised Division, who spoke on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff. He urged the engineers to apply their technical skills and professionalism to ensure the mission has a visible and positive impact on communities affected by the storm.
Brigadier General Tinka also reminded the team to uphold the core values of the RDF, particularly discipline, which he said was key to earning the trust placed in them by the force’s leadership. He called on both officers and enlisted personnel to maintain these standards throughout the deployment.
Hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean in late October 2025, causing widespread destruction. Jamaica was among the hardest-hit countries, with severe damage to roads, public facilities and other essential infrastructure. The scale of the devastation prompted a large, multi-agency humanitarian response.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
