19,200 Hurricane Cases Assessed in Clarendon

Some 19,200 cases of damage to houses and property as a result of Hurricane Ivan, have now been assessed in Clarendon by the Welfare Committee.
Delroy Palmer, Clarendon’s Parish Manager for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, said this figure represented 95 per cent of the assessments to be done.
“We have almost completed the assessment and are now responding to persons who were not captured in the first round, because they may not have been available when the officers were in their area and have now come to the office to report the damage to their property,” he said.
Mr. Palmer said officers from the Welfare Committee, which comprises representatives from the Social Development Commission (SDC), the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the U.S. Peace Corps and the Adventist Disaster Relief Agency (ADRA) were still carrying out assessments in Lionel Town, Rocky Point, Chapelton, Woodhall, Nine Turns, Leicesterfield, Bucks Common and Rectory Road.
He pointed out that persons would receive cheques for varying amounts, depending on the level of damage they incurred.
Mr. Palmer said that pensioners would receive a sum of $5,000 for the month of October, in addition to regular pension payments, and beneficiaries under the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), would also get a payment, which was twice the regular amount.
Some 5,500 pensioners and 9,300 families with 22,000 individuals in Clarendon are expected to benefit, he noted.
He pointed out that the compliance requirements under the PATH programme would be waived for October, as many students would not have been able to attend school regularly and elderly persons would not have been able to visit the clinics.
Mr. Palmer commended the Welfare team for their positive and efficient response to the assessment process, and added that the volunteers, including teachers and church members who joined the process, should also be commended.
He is encouraging persons who have not been assessed but who have experienced some damage, to make contact with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security at 986-2472 or 902-6148.