THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE):---  Her Excellency Diedre Mills, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and Head Mission to the European Union (EU), has expressed her heartfelt gratitude and outpouring of love, support and solidarity on behalf of the Government and the people of Jamaica during this difficult time after the passing of Hurricane Melissa.
In her letter dated October 31, 2025, Ambassador Mills added, “As we begin the recovery and reconstruction phase, we do so with the kind assurance of your unwavering commitment and steadfast support so that we can build back even stronger than ever.”
Her Excellency Sint Maarten’s Minister Plenipotentiary Drs. Gracita Arrindell had the pleasure of meeting Ambassador Mills on the sidelines of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s General Conference in Uzbekistan in the historic city of Samarkand.
“The Ambassador personally expressed her gratitude for Sint Maarten’s expression from the outset of my address of solidarity with the people and Government of Jamaica while having the floor and attention of the UNESCO Conference. I also mentioned Haiti, The Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic, which were also impacted by Melissa.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that the Government of Jamaica has confirmed 28 fatalities to date associated with the passage of the hurricane. I extend my condolences to the families who have lost loved ones due to this natural disaster,” Minister Arrindell said on Thursday.
Minister Plenipotentiary Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell addressed the General Conference on behalf of the Honourable Melissa D. Gumbs, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.
The 43rd UNESCO General Conference runs from 30 October to 13 November 2025.

Cayman Islands:---  CCRIF SPC announced that it will make a second payout of US$21.1 million to the Government of Jamaica following the passage of Hurricane Melissa – due to the triggering of the Government’s excess rainfall parametric insurance policy. Previously, on October 31, CCRIF announced that Jamaica will receive a payout of US$70.8 million (J$11.4 billion) on the country’s tropical cyclone policy. The total payouts to Jamaica from CCRIF amount to US$91.9 million (J$14.8 billion) following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

On November 3rd CCRIF provided the Government with a portion of the tropical cyclone policy payout – US$8 million – to provide immediate access to quick liquidity (cash). The remaining US$62.8 million will be paid by November 13th – in keeping with CCRIF’s key value proposition of making payouts within 14 days of an event. The excess rainfall policy payout will also be made within 14 days, following final model verification. Excess rainfall assessments typically take a few days longer than tropical cyclone evaluations due to the complexity of rainfall distribution and localized impacts.

CCRIF’s parametric insurance policies are a key component of Jamaica’s comprehensive disaster risk financing strategy. Payouts from CCRIF provide its members with immediate access to liquidity to support vulnerable populations, repair critical infrastructure, stabilize public services such as water, and reduce the country’s economic exposure, safeguarding debt and fiscal sustainability targets and overall development gains.

Jamaica currently has coverage from CCRIF for tropical cyclone, excess rainfall and earthquake. CCRIF’s parametric insurance policies are designed to respond to the intensity of a hazard event, considering the assets exposed, and the modelled losses based on pre-defined models. The tropical cyclone policy is based on modelled losses from wind and storm surge, and the excess rainfall policy is based on the volume and distribution of rainfall. Prior to these two payouts for Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica received 3 other payouts in previous years on its tropical cyclone and excess rainfall policies for Tropical Cyclones Beryl, Eta and Zeta.

Since its inception in 2007, CCRIF has made 82 payouts totalling US$483 million (https://www.ccrif.org/aboutus/ccrif-spc-payouts?language_content_entity=en).

CCRIF CEO, Mr. Isaac Anthony plans to visit Jamaica to meet with senior officials to discuss how CCRIF can provide further assistance for the country’s recovery efforts and how it can support the Government in further enhancing its financial protection strategy.

For the previous press release, “CCRIF To Make Record US$70.8 Million (J$11.4 Billion) Payout to Jamaica Following the Devastation Caused by Hurricane Melissa”, click the link below:
https://www.ccrif.org/news/ccrif-make-record-us708-million-j114-billion-payout-jamaica-following-devastation-caused?language_content_entity=en

#ccrifspc #caribbean #jamaica #hurricanemelissa #disasterriskfinancing #naturaldisaster #catastropheriskinsurance #parametricinsurance #climatechange #lossanddamage #US$21million #excessrainfall #US$91.9million

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):---  Health departments and organizations around the globe are preparing for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), which will take place from November 18 – 24.

The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) says Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antibiotics used to treat a wide range of bacteria making infections difficult to treat and at times impossible, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

Antibiotics and other antimicrobials play a key role in the success of modern medicine and have greatly improved the health of humans and animals. But overuse and misuse have reduced their efficacy, with more pathogens developing the ability to survive the antimicrobials designed to eliminate them, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The objective of WAAW is to spread information to different groups within the community and for persons to be able to learn more about Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and why it’s a global concern and what impact it could have on Sint Maarten.

Antibiotic medicines were discovered a century ago and have significantly extended average life expectancy. Every day, these essential medicines save millions of lives.

“Together, we should ensure the international community sets ambitious goals during high-level meetings on AMR and that countries allocate sufficient resources to meet AMR national action plans.

“By sharing real-life experiences of AMR, we aim to illustrate its tangible impact and promote global action. WHO urges governments, NGOs, civil society groups, youth and student organizations, universities, healthcare professionals, private stakeholders and media to act and engage local communities in raising awareness around this global health crisis,” the WHO adds.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport (MECYS), through the Division for Educational Innovation (DEI), announces a successful first week of the Professional Development in the Dutch Language project. Hosted by the Milton Peters College (MPC), subject and language teachers took part in practical, interactive workshops on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and on creating highly contextual, language-rich lessons with support from AI.
The trainings held during the week of October 14 -17, 2025, were delivered by Bureau NVT (Ms. Petra Roël and Mr. Guus Perry) and was attended by all Dutch as a Foreign Language (NVT) secondary-level education teachers, as well as the MPC subject teachers.
To support ongoing learning, the project’s online platform includes a CLIL theory library and a catalogue of previously developed, freely accessible materials. This ensures alignment with earlier projects and developments, building on proven practice rather than reinventing the wheel. Teachers will also be able to share, review, and reuse their newly developed lessons. In addition, the teachers will have access to a website for the full duration of the project, which will enable them to develop Dutch-supported lessons, free of charge. This will encourage collaboration and continuous improvement.
During the week, NVT teachers also collaborated to align their curriculum goals, sequencing, and classroom approaches. They held a constructive dialogue with a representative from MECYS, where they shared ideas on resources that will enrich their curriculum. This joint effort signals a strong, shared commitment from all stakeholders to work together and raise educational standards across Sint Maarten.
The week concluded with a strong set of lesson plans shared on the platform. Among them, a geography lesson stood out for its creative integration of language learning, featuring Sint Maarten’s beaches, activities, and local imagery. Drawing on insights from the training and AI tools, the lessons showcased how subject learning and Dutch language development can go hand in hand to benefit local students.
This project is a collaboration across the education ecosystem, involving MECYS, with support of Division of Examinations, Division of Inspection ECYS, and the Division for Educational Innovation. As a next step, teachers will apply the new knowledge and tools in their classrooms. The project will continue with follow-up activities, including additional sessions, lesson coaching, and sharing of results to further strengthen practice and impact.
“This approach helps students build subject knowledge and Dutch proficiency at the same time,” stated lead trainer, Ms. Petra Roël. “I was deeply impressed by the teachers’ hard work this week and their commitment to developing accessible, context-rich lessons. Dutch is a foreign language for the students on Sint Maarten, and they have a right to explicit language support at their level. With targeted support, AI, and open material sharing, we’re expecting to see practical benefits in classrooms across Sint Maarten.”
“As the Manager of the Division for Educational Innovation, I am happy to see this innovative program being executed in the secondary schools. The objective of this training is to equip the teachers with their lesson preparations, instructions, and assessment, which in turn will enhance the participation and performance of their students,” stated Ms. Oralie Boirard.
"I’m truly proud of our teachers for the energy and effort they’re putting into this. Learning in the Dutch language isn’t always easy for our students, but when teachers bring real-life examples and creativity into the classroom, it makes a big difference. This kind of teamwork and innovation is what will keep lifting education on Sint Maarten to higher heights. It’s about helping our students feel confident in both the language and the lessons they learn," stated Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport, Ms. Melissa D. Gumbs.