RELIEF OPERATION CONTINUES
While speaking at a special press briefing held at the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday morning (October 30), Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie spoke to some of the relief initiatives that are underway to assist the hurricane ravaged parishes in central and western Jamaica.
The Minister confirmed that Manchester, St Elizabeth, Hanover, Westmoreland, St James and Trelawny were the parishes that suffered significant damages caused by Hurricane Melissa that made landfall over the island on Tuesday Morning (October 28).
“Over a hundred and something communities within these parishes have been moderately or severely affected by flooding, land slippage and other aspects of hurricane Melissa,” he said
He added that aid, was deployed to help communities in St Elizabeth where all the communication, electricity grids and roadways have been cut off since Tuesday.
“I spoke with the Mayor of Black River this morning, and we are making arrangements to get food and water to Slipe and another community in St Elizabeth that he spoke to me about and those efforts are presently on the way,” he added.
Hon. Daryl Vaz, Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport announced that the airports are now open to receive relief assistance. He also confirmed that Jamaica has started to receive relief supplies from regional and international partners to support in the recovery process and adding that the Norman Manley International Airport is open for commercial flights.
“All three international airports are now open for relief supplies, we are expecting nine flights Cayman was the first this morning… Norman Manley International resume operations this morning for commercial passenger and we have 10 flights in and out of Jamaica today,” he said
Minister Vaz added that the Ian Flemming Airport in St Ann and Sangster’s International Airport in St James, has also started to receive relief flights and will be open for commercial flights later today.
“Ian Flemming will also accommodate relief today, both relief and passenger flights. And as we know the Montego Bay Airport is receiving relief, and I expect to announce in a matter of hours the commercial operations, limited, to start tomorrow,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, announced that 70% of Hanover, and some 40% St James, can expect water in their homes by this Sunday.
“Contractors have already been mobilized, the pipes are already on site, we expect work to commence within another hour as the assessments are now complete… we expect to complete the temporary reconnection by Sunday evening, that will allow us to pump pretty much for 70% of Hanover an 35-40% of St James,” he said
“St Elizabeth and eastern Westmoreland is ground level for the disaster, we are currently doing the assessments, there are 17 systems that we evaluated between eastern St Elizabeth and central Westmoreland that we have made arrangements for generators, we are working with the JDF to establish the routes to install these over the next 36-48 hours… it will take some of those systems, 12-18 hours to backfill the lines,” he continued.
He also made mention that the Government of Jamaica will be partnering with several private entities across the island to ensure that supplies are distributed as needed—some of these partners will include local shops and merchants who are able to facilitate the demand.
“We have looked at their current capacity on the ground, they’re doing their internal assessments in term of what they will be able to contribute… we have formed the joint working group that will look at the distribution mechanism for over 200,000 over the next 10-21 days… and working with the JDF to do is assessing stores that exist in the areas worse affected that are standing are able to operate and have stock and can be restocked… so in those areas where stores exist, and have stock and are able to function, we will be initiating a voucher system as soon as possible,”
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security, along with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, have already deployed officers and volunteers to deliver care packages to the parishes that have been most severely affected by the disaster.
