India has dispatched 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Jamaica to support recovery efforts after the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
The relief consignment, sent by the Government of India, reached Kingston aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 aircraft on Thursday and was handed over to Jamaican authorities.
“India stands in solidarity and support with its philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family. India and Jamaica share deep-rooted relations, and India remains committed to assisting Jamaica and other Global South partners in times of need,” the Indian High Commission in Kingston said in a post on X on Friday.
The relief package includes the special Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita, and Maitri (BHISHM) medical trauma unit, generators, tents, bedding and mats, kitchen kits, solar lanterns, hygiene kits, and other essential supplies to aid post-hurricane recovery.
The BHISHM trauma kit is a key component of India’s relief effort, designed to deliver first-line emergency medical support in field conditions. Developed indigenously, the cube-shaped system consists of 72 boxes containing modular medical and surgical equipment that can be quickly assembled into a functional trauma care unit.
A four-member Indian Air Force medical team will train Jamaican medical professionals over the next four days on how to operate the kit effectively.
India, a member of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), continues to play an active role in global disaster relief operations. In April this year, New Delhi extended disaster relief worth around 60 million Jamaican dollars to Jamaica, which included 60 tonnes of materials such as generators, neonatal incubators, blood-pressure monitors, solar lanterns, essential medicines, and other items for disaster preparedness, according to the Indian High Commission.
IANS