The Government is reporting that more than 600 educational institutions sustained damage during the passage of category-five Hurricane Melissa. “In the affected parishes, we have a little bit over 450 schools that have been affected, and that’s across the board – infant schools, primary schools, secondary schools and also eight tertiary schools. So far, we’ve seen estimates of 616 institutions...

Director General at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, says that more than 36,000 food packages have been delivered to people who were severely impacted by the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Giving an update at a Special Press Briefing for Hurricane Melissa Recovery, held at Jamaica House in Kingston on Thursday (November 6), he...

The Government’s coordination of relief in response to Hurricane Melissa will be bolstered by support from the United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS). The disclosure was made by Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, during Thursday’s (November 6) special press briefing, focused on recovery from category-five Hurricane Melissa, at Jamaica House....

Approximately 90,000 families in western Jamaica were directly affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. This is according to the initial damage assessment by Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management ODPEM), which also indicated that more than 120,000 buildings lost their roofs. Newly appointed Director General at ODPEM, Commander Alvin Gayle, gave the update on Thursday...

Royal Caribbean International’s Rhapsody of the Seas called at the Falmouth Pier on Tuesday (November 4), offloading more than 120 pallets of essential supplies for communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa. The shipment, intended for displaced citizens, includes bedding, food, bottled water, medical supplies, canned goods, grains, generators, toiletries, juices, and other items. The vessel’s call was a relief operation only,...

Residents from Santa Cruz are now receiving clean, drinking water from the St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) well. The access has been made possible through the provision of a generator by businessman Romeich Major, of Romeich Entertainment, to facilitate the pumping of the commodity to serve the institution and the wider community. Since the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which...

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) are coordinating efforts to ensure order and facilitate the smooth distribution of relief supplies across St. James in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Commanding Officer for the parish, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Eron Samuels, said the collaboration spans all aspects of the hurricane response. “We have been working...