Gov't defends pace of relief response following Hurricane Melissa

 

The government has defended the pace of its response in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. 

 

There have been criticisms from several quarters that the relief response has been slow and inefficient. 

 

Information Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon says the government moved quickly into action once the impact of the storm was clear. 

 

"That Category 5 devastation is really, really hard for anyone to plan for. The government has had to do what it can do in order to provide the support as quickly as possible. Given our terrain - we have mountains, we have rivers, this hurricane didn't just come with wind. It came with record rainfall, so we had flooding. The first thing we have to do in terms of getting to the communities is to open the roads. After that, it was working with all of our aid agencies and partners to get them into Jamaica to help them to support us because they have the international expertise and goods to help us. We've done it as quickly as we can," Dr. Morris Dixon insisted. 

 

She acknowledged that marooned communities are the biggest concern, but said the Jamaica Defence Force as well as international partners have provided helicopters to be able to get aid to those people. 

 

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr. confirmed that over 30,000 food packages have so far been successfully distributed to households across Jamaica in response to Hurricane Melissa. 

 

The minister has reaffirmed his ministry's commitment to protecting the nation's most vulnerable, ensuring that every Jamaican, regardless of circumstance, receives the support he or she needs. 

 

"When I say no one should be left behind, I mean it. Whether you are in a shelter, a wheelchair, or a remote hillside community, we will make every effort to find you and every effort to help you. This is not just about distributing relief. It's about restoring dignity to our Jamaicans. Every food package, every mattress, every welfare visit, it's a message that your government cares," Mr. Charles declared at Monday's press conference. 

 

To date, 22,156 packages were distributed directly by the ministry, while private sector and partner contributions accounted for an additional 8,500 packages. 

 

Minister Charles said there are still 25 marooned communities located in the parishes of Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, St. James, Trelawny, and one in Hanover.