MFA&FT Kingston: November 1, 2017

“We not only condemn acts of terror, but we pray for continued strength for all who work to make the world safer and more peaceful,” affirmed Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, following yesterday (Tuesday, October 31) afternoon’s terrorist attack, just blocks from the World Trade Centre in the lower Manhattan region of New York, which took at least 8lives, with 11 wounded to date.

 

The Minister, who is in Washington DC on day two of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Regional Policy Dialogue on Integration and Trade, alluded to the “tragic, random nature of terrorism.” At the same time, Minister Johnson Smith referenced the resilience of New York and New Yorkers and gave assurance that “our prayers are with the families of the victims.” 

 

Media reports indicate that nationals of Argentina, Germany and Belgium are among the victims.

 

The Jamaican Consul General in New York is in dialogue with the Office of Foreign Missions, as well as Jamaicans in the area.

 

“The Office of Foreign Missions was contacted.  So far we have no information on any of our nationals being injured or among the fatalities,” notes Consul general Trudy Deans.

 

Official statistics from the United States Census Bureau (from census 2010) has the number of Jamaicans in New York at 229,967.

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Contact: Ann-Margaret Lim: 499-0625