Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, says Jamaica and its people can bounce back bigger and better from Hurricane Melissa, just as his country did after the catastrophic Hurricane Irma in 2017. “Across our small Caribbean nation, we stand with Jamaica. We are not new to hurricanes but we know they can be deeply disruptive. When we faced...

A coalition of international lending agencies have announced immediate commitments to assist Jamaica’s recovery effort, in the aftermath of category-five Hurricane Melissa. A tour of several affected communities in western Jamaica on November 17 highlighted the scale of devastation and ended with a coordinated response from regional and global partners, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Development Bank of...

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has announced that the National Housing Trust (NHT) will procure 5,000 pre‑built container homes for rapid deployment across the island, in order to address urgent housing needs following Hurricane Melissa. “We have examined pre-built containerised modular solutions, and we have settled in our minds that this is appropriate for the Jamaican situation...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is urging farmers to carefully document damage to their farms, produce, and livestock. This effort is critical to supporting national damage assessment activities, particularly as access to several areas remains restricted following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Senior RADA Plant Health and Food Safety Officer, Francine Webb, noted that assessments remain ongoing as the...

The Government is establishing a National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NARA) to lead, coordinate, fast-track and oversee national rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. “The NARA will focus on building back better – safer homes, climate-resilient infrastructure, better land use planning, relocation from high-risk zones,” said Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness. He said that new...

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,...

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...