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Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (centre), converses with President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), Professor Gordon Shirley (left), and Chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Ian Dear, during a visit to Falmouth, Trelawny, on Saturday (November 29).
Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (centre), converses with President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), Professor Gordon Shirley (left), and Chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Ian Dear, during a visit to Falmouth, Trelawny, on Saturday (November 29).

Gov’t Moves to Rebuild Trelawny Municipal Corporation Building After Hurricane Melissa

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development has identified lands owned by the Trelawny Municipal Corporation for the construction of a new administrative building, following the devastation of the existing structure during Hurricane Melissa. “They are now to proceed...
Mayor of Black River and Chairman of the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, Councillor Richard Solomon.
Mayor of Black River and Chairman of the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, Councillor Richard Solomon.

Community Access, Restoring Essential Services Being Prioritised in St. Elizabeth
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery at Jamaica House on Wednesday (November 19).
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery at Jamaica House on Wednesday (November 19).

Gov’t To Review And Overhaul National Emergency Shelter System
Executive Director, Social Development Commission (SDC).
Executive Director, Social Development Commission (SDC).

SDC Undertaking Temporary Accommodations Needs Assessment
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, delivers remarks during a follow-up meeting of the Emergency Operations Centre at the St. James Municipal Corporation in Montego Bay on Thursday (November 20).
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, delivers remarks during a follow-up meeting of the Emergency Operations Centre at the St. James Municipal Corporation in Montego Bay on Thursday (November 20).

70,000 Care Packages Distributed Across St. James

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Regional Operations Manager, WPM Waste Management Limited, Dramaine Jones, gives remarks during the monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation held in Montego Bay on November 13.
CommunityDevelopmentHurricane Relief & RecoveryLocal Government

WPM Waste Management Intensifying Operations in St. James

WPM Waste Management Limited will be intensifying operations to remove waste from communities across St. James, including the mini dump sites for hurricane debris. “In the coming days, you will see an increase in the operations whereby additional tipper trucks [and backhoes] have been engaged to be deployed to clean all the dump sites,” said WPM Regional Operations Manager, Dramaine...
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Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, gives an update on the country’s Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts at a special press conference on November 19 at Jamaica House.
CommunityDevelopmentLocal Government

National Relief Effort Remains Robust

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, says that more than 115,000 relief packages have been delivered, to date, through the national system. He noted that the packages, including sanitisation and hygiene kits, have benefited 282 communities islandwide. “The national relief effort remains robust,” he said, noting that the agency continues to...
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Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, gives an update on the country’s hurricane Melissa recovery efforts at a special press conference on November 19 at Jamaica House.
CommunityDevelopmentHurricane Relief & RecoveryLocal Government

156,000 Dwellings Damaged Across Six Parishes

Hurricane Melissa damaged 156,000 dwellings across the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Manchester, St. James, Trelawny and Hanover, with 24,000 being total losses. Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, gave the update during a special press conference at Jamaica House on November 19. He reported that 97 emergency shelters remain active,...
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World Bank’s Country Director for the Caribbean countries, Lilia Burunciuc, delivers an address at a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery, held at Jamaica House in Kingston on Wednesday (November 19).
DevelopmentHurricane MelissaHurricane Relief & Recovery

St. Elizabeth, St. James, Westmoreland Sustained US$5.5 Billion in Damage from Hurricane Melissa

The parishes of St. Elizabeth, St. James and Westmoreland experienced the worst impact from hurricane Melissa, accounting for US$5.5 billion in damage, says World Bank’s Country Director for the Caribbean, Lilia Burunciuc. The figure is 63 per cent of the total damage sustained across the island, which amounts to a record US $8.8 billion, she informed. Ms. Burunciuc was presenting...
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Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, tours the St. Elizabeth Infirmary on Saturday (Nov. 15), to get a firsthand look at the extent of damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.
CommunityDevelopmentLocal Government

Emergency Repairs to Be Undertaken at St. Elizabeth Infirmary

Emergency repairs, including roof replacement, are to be undertaken at the St. Elizabeth Infirmary following severe damage to the facility from Hurricane Melissa. Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, who toured the infirmary on Saturday (Nov. 15), said he has given directives to fast-track the work to restore normality for the residents and staff. “The roof...
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Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, addresses the monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation, in Montego Bay, on Thursday ( November 13).
CommunityDevelopmentDisaster ReliefHurricane Relief & RecoveryLocal Government

Christmas Tree-Lighting Ceremony in Montego Bay to Be Scaled Down

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, says this year’s Christmas tree-lighting event in the city will be scaled down, reflecting the parish’s ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa. Addressing the monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation on Thursday (November 13), Mayor Vernon said that while the festive tradition will continue, the celebrations will be modest. “Normally we...
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Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby.
Climate ChangeCommunityDevelopmentLocal Government

KSAMC Proposes Building Act Reforms to Strengthen National and Municipal Climate Resilience

The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has proposed the revision and sustained enforcement of regulations under the Building Act as strategic measures to strengthen national and municipal resilience to extreme environmental events. Addressing the KSAMC’s monthly meeting on Tuesday (November 11), Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby, noted that the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28 highlighted...
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