World Central Kitchen shifting from hot meals to food kits distribution in Jamaica

The non profit entity World Central Kitchen says it will be transitioning its operations in Jamaica come next month.

The entity has been in the island since the passage of Hurricane Melissa preparing freshly cooked meals for people in the areas impacted by the storm.

Initial reports were that the organization's stoves were to have been turned off by the end of January.

World Central Kitchen Response Director Luis Jose Fernandez says no end date has been determined as the organization remains committed to the cause of feeding those still reeling from the effects of hurricane Melissa.

He explained however that the organization will be shifting away from the preparation of hot meals and will instead begin providing needy families with food kits for the remainder of the time it has here.

Each food kit consists of 15kg worth of food items, enough to serve a family of four for seven days, he explained.

“Every food kit comes with Jasmine rice; has coconut powder it it; it has tumeric; it has all of the spices. It’s a really good  food kit so people can start getting back on their feet,” he explained while speaking Tuesday on Radio Jamaica’s Beyond the Headlines.

The relief organization landed in Jamaica shortly after Hurricane Melissa hit the island with devastating force, as a category 5 storm, on October 28.