• Category

  • Content Type

Advertisement

Management Plan to Identify Safe Buildings for Shelters

August 31, 2007

The Full Story

The National Shelter Establishment and Management Plan, which is to be refined by head of the reconstruction effort, Kingsley Thomas, will identify strategically located safe buildings throughout the island to be used as shelters in the event of a national disaster.
This was announced by Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, in her address to the nation on Wednesday(Aug. 29).
“We will develop a step-by-step programme for the preparation of the shelters prior to the disaster (and) develop a programme to manage shelters once they are open. This includes deploying members of the security forces to provide protection to men, women, children and the vulnerable; ensure proper arrangements for the preparation and serving of meals, and provide cots for sleeping in shelters. I am not happy with anyone in shelters sleeping on mattresses on floors,” she stated.
Mrs. Simpson Miller noted that the conditions in shelters must be humane, of a certain standard and should not add to the trauma of persons seeking relief at the facilities.
Meanwhile, on Monday (Aug. 27), beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education(PATH) began receiving the special one-off allowance of $2,000 per household.
As at August 29, 19,000 cheques were already dispatched to post offices for families in Kingston, St. Andrew, Portland, and St. Thomas. Mrs. Simpson Miller said that by Friday (Aug. 31), cheques for families in St. Mary and St. Ann will be dispatched, while those for remaining parishes will be done next week.
In addition, the Prime Minister told the nation that payments of the special allowance of $5,000 to 80,000 National Insurance Scheme (NIS) pensioners, the elderly and senior citizens including those with disabilities, have also started, with 22,000 cheques valued at $110 million for Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Thomas dispatched.
For Portland, she informed, 11,000 cheques have been dispatched, while cheques for St. Mary and St. Ann are being prepared and will be available at post offices this weekend and those for the remaining parishes will be sent out next week.

Last Updated: August 31, 2007

Skip to content