All 41 Barbadian students in Jamaica have been confirmed safe and securely accommodated as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, made landfall on the island. Ambassador to CARICOM, David Comissiong, provided this assurance on Tuesday, just before the hurricane struck with unprecedented wind speeds of 185 miles per hour and heavy rainfall. While 26 students were evacuated on short notice, others remained safely sheltered at the University of the West Indies’ Mona Campus and a hotel in Kingston, the island’s capital. Comissiong emphasized that the situation in Kingston, where most students are based, remained stable, with Barbados’ honorary consul in Jamaica maintaining constant communication with the students. Some students were flown back to Barbados via a special flight arranged by the government, though the tight timeline of just four hours meant not all could be accommodated. Rakeia Mayers-Parris, Public Relations Officer of the Barbados Student Association of Jamaica (BSAJ), recounted her experience of receiving a last-minute call for an afternoon flight back home. She praised the government’s swift action, noting that those unable to evacuate were provided safe accommodations at hotels. Despite reports of infrastructure damage and flooding at the UWI Mona Campus, Comissiong assured that the Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining contact with both students and Jamaican authorities. The BSAJ expressed profound gratitude to the government and all individuals involved in ensuring the students’ safety, highlighting the efforts of Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds, Director General of Foreign Affairs Donna Forde, and Honorary Consul Winston Bayley.