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rescue workers and aid worker Operations were carried out across Jamaica on Saturday, intensifying efforts to distribute vital food and water to isolated communities, four days after Hurricane Melissa devastated the island.
Much-needed relief supplies are now reaching hard-hit areas of Elizabeth and Westmoreland, many of which were completely cut off by fallen concrete pillars and trees that blocked roads.
In these remote areas, residents have been forced to dip buckets into rivers to collect dirty water for everyday use, while others have had to subsist on coconuts and roasted breadfruit. Social Security Minister Pernell Charles Jr. was among several emergency convoys delivering ready-to-eat food, water, tarpaulins, blankets, medicine and other essentials to the affected population.
Melissa has wreaked havoc, knocking out power lines and collapsing buildings, disrupting food and water distribution, and destroying crop fields.
one of the strongest atlantic Hurricane Melissa is blamed for at least 19 deaths in Jamaica and 31 nearby haitiMelissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with peak winds of 185 mph (295 kph).
A US regional disaster assistance response team was on the ground after being activated by the Secretary of State marco rubio Earlier this week, the US Embassy in Jamaica said.
“The United States of America “Stands with Jamaica as they respond to the impacts of the storm and are prepared to rapidly deliver emergency relief supplies,” it said.
Jamaican Water And Environment Minister Matthew Samuda took to social media platform X to look for tarpaulins after Melissa tore roofs off several homes in western Jamaica. X users called for help and reported where they had found supplies.
falmouthA popular fishing spot on Jamaica’s north coast has suffered significant damage, including flooding and grounded buildings, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Saturday.
“Our immediate priority is to restore electricity and telecommunications and ensure that essential services, particularly at Falmouth Hospital, are stabilised,” he said on Twitter, adding that Jamaica would rebuild “stronger and wiser”.
After the disaster, Caribbean The Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) said it will make a record payment of $70.8 million to Jamaica.
This facility enables countries to aggregate their individual risks to provide affordable coverage against natural disasters. The group said on Friday that the payment would be made within 14 days.
Finance Minister Faval Williams said on Thursday that the CCRIF insurance policy was just one part of the government’s financial plan to respond to natural disasters. He pointed to a contingency fund, a national natural disaster reserve and a disaster bond.
Government officials have said that damage assessment is still underway.