88 shelters remain open with more than 1,000 people

 

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) says 88 shelters remain open across nine parishes, accommodating just over 1,100 people.

 

Commander Alvin Gayle, Director General of ODPEM, says two communities remain marooned and can only be accessed by air. 

 

The communities are Petersville in Westmoreland and Ducketts in St. James. 

 

"The two maroon communities did receive drops yesterday and I'm assured by time of speaking this morning, we'll also do two other helicopter lifts into those communities," said Commander Gayle, who was speaking at a special media briefing  on Tuesday morning.

 

"Rising water still continues to affect the communities of Content district, Comfort and Evergreen, Manchester and Brighton in St. Elizabeth," he added, noting: "Today, we'll also commence publishing the list of maroon communities and also priority communities. The ODPEM will commence publishing also planned relief supplies, so that across the nation, our national efforts can be synchronised."

 

Commander Gayle said more than 80,000 care packages have been delivered through the national system and there have been over 60 relief flight drops.

 

He said coordination of the relief effort is ongoing with the government agencies, local authorities as well as private sector and international partners to ensure equitable distribution which prevents wastage, leakage and diversion.

 

"The development of a disaster relief invention management system is in the final phase of testing and we are excited to roll out across all our warehouses this week. This will aid in our accountability framework. To date, locally and overseas combined and thus over 14,000 donors have inputted cash through our systems, with just over $400 million in those systems. The ODPEM, on behalf of the Government of Jamaica has also received into our stores just over $500 million worth of aid with over 80% rate of distribution for the relief items. As we move into the restoration phase or the recovery phase, we'll be pushing out more items from that package," he promised.

 

Up to 10 p.m. Monday night some 34 roads remain blocked.