ACCRA, Dec 17 (The African Portal) – Ghana has deployed 54 military engineers to Jamaica to assist with repair and reconstruction efforts after Hurricane Melissa, the government said on Wednesday.
The troops, drawn from the Ghana Armed Forces’ 14 Engineer Regiment, will work with Jamaican authorities and international partners to rebuild critical infrastructure, including shelters, roads and public facilities, officials said.
The deployment, undertaken in collaboration with the United States, was supported by a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft that airlifted the soldiers and their equipment to Kingston, Jamaica.
President John Dramani Mahama said the mission reflected Ghana’s commitment to regional cooperation and solidarity with Caribbean countries affected by natural disasters.
“Ghana has consistently stood for international solidarity, humanitarian assistance and global responsibility,” Mahama said at a send-off ceremony in Accra, attended by senior government officials, military commanders and diplomats.
Mahama said Ghana had also dispatched humanitarian aid to Jamaica and Cuba, as well as to displaced people in Sudan. The assistance included food, blankets, mattresses, medicines and other relief items. He added that tents would be shipped by sea to provide temporary shelter, while the engineers support reconstruction efforts on the ground.
The president thanked the United States for providing airlift support for the mission, describing it as critical to the rapid deployment of personnel and equipment.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ghana, Rolf Olson, said Washington responded positively to Ghana’s request, underscoring the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 transported the 54 Ghanaian service members and nine pallets of equipment, weighing more than 65,000 pounds, to Jamaica, Olson said.
He added that the United States had provided nearly $37 million in emergency assistance across the region in response to Hurricane Melissa, including more than $22 million for Jamaica, $11 million for Haiti, $3 million for Cuba and $500,000 for the Bahamas.
