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Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., addressing a press conference on disaster response Post-Hurricane Melissa held on Thursday (November 20), at the Ministry
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., addressing a press conference on disaster response Post-Hurricane Melissa held on Thursday (November 20), at the Ministry's offices in downtown Kingston.

Labour Ministry To Launch Disaster Self-reporting Form

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be launching a disaster self-reporting form, which will enable householders to submit information on Hurricane Melissa damage or loss electronically. The self-reporting form will be available on the Ministry’s website at Ministry...
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., is joined by State Minister in the Ministry of Health and Wellness and Member of Parliament for St. Ann North Western, Hon. Krystal Lee (second left), as they hand out care packages to residents of Sturge Town in the constituency on Wednesday (November 19), in support of Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., is joined by State Minister in the Ministry of Health and Wellness and Member of Parliament for St. Ann North Western, Hon. Krystal Lee (second left), as they hand out care packages to residents of Sturge Town in the constituency on Wednesday (November 19), in support of Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.

Gov’t Ramps Up Post-hurricane Response With Islandwide House-to-house Assessments
Digicel representatives are joined by a student and parent in offloading relief packages to benefit parents of special needs students at the Catherine Hall Primary School. The handover took place at the Catherine Hall Primary School
Digicel representatives are joined by a student and parent in offloading relief packages to benefit parents of special needs students at the Catherine Hall Primary School. The handover took place at the Catherine Hall Primary School's Special Education Unit in St. James on Thursday (November 20).

Digicel Foundation Donates Water Tank To Catherine Hall Primary School
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (second right); State Minister, Hon. Franklin Witter (second left) and St. Catherine North Eastern Member of Parliament, Hon. Kerensia Morrison (left), listen intently as poultry farmer, Maureen Simmonds, relays the extensive damage to her business from Hurricane Melissa. The officials visited Bonnet District, Guys Hill in St. Catherine on Thursday (November 20), to tour several farms in the community that were damaged during the storm, as part of the Ministry’s hurricane recovery plan. The tour culminated with a farmers’ meeting at the Guys Hill Town Hall, where farmers received irish potato seeds, fertilisers and vegetable seeds.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (second right); State Minister, Hon. Franklin Witter (second left) and St. Catherine North Eastern Member of Parliament, Hon. Kerensia Morrison (left), listen intently as poultry farmer, Maureen Simmonds, relays the extensive damage to her business from Hurricane Melissa. The officials visited Bonnet District, Guys Hill in St. Catherine on Thursday (November 20), to tour several farms in the community that were damaged during the storm, as part of the Ministry’s hurricane recovery plan. The tour culminated with a farmers’ meeting at the Guys Hill Town Hall, where farmers received irish potato seeds, fertilisers and vegetable seeds.

Ministry Of Agriculture Targets Less Affected Parishes In Short-term Recovery Plan
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery, at Jamaica House in Kingston, on Wednesday (November 19).
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery, at Jamaica House in Kingston, on Wednesday (November 19).

JDF to Transition from Relief to Rebuilding

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Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., addresses a press conference on disaster response post Hurricane Melissa, on Thursday (November 20), at the Ministry’s North Street offices in Kingston.
Hurricane Relief & RecoveryLabourSocial Security

Damage Assessments Completed for 17,000 Households

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has completed damage assessments of 17,000 households, to date, with some 47,000 persons recorded as being impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., made the disclosure during a press briefing at the Ministry’s North Street offices in Kingston on Thursday (November 20). The assessments are being conducted using the Jamaica...
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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 on Thursday (November 20).
Hurricane Relief & RecoveryWorks / Construction

St. James Work Crews Clear Over 1,600 Truckloads of Debris in 22 Days of Hurricane Melissa Recovery

Twenty-two days into the Hurricane Melissa recovery effort in St. James, work crews have successfully cleared 1,636 truckloads of mud and debris from the communities of Catherine Hall and West Green. These areas were among the hardest hit by the category-five system’s recent passage, and the ongoing operations reflect the Government’s commitment to restoring safety, mobility, and normalcy for residents....
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Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, addresses a recent meeting with public health workers at Hotel Commingle in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.
Health & WellnessHurricane Relief & Recovery

Health Ministry Heightening Vigilance Against Environmental Diseases

The Minister of Health and Wellness is heightening its vigilance against water-borne, vector-borne and food-related illnesses in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Disease surveillance, rapid response capabilities and public health interventions have been enhanced in the parishes most severely impacted by the storm. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, who was addressing a recent meeting with public health workers at...
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Executive Director, Social Development Commission (SDC).
CommunityDevelopmentLocal Government

SDC Undertaking Temporary Accommodations Needs Assessment

The Social Development Commission (SDC) has launched a Temporary Accommodations Needs Assessment Survey across the six parishes severely affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa. The survey, commissioned by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development has three primary objectives – to provide an evidence-based report on the number of displaced families and individuals, to determine how many of...
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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).
CommunityDevelopmentHurricane Relief & RecoveryLocal Government

70,000 Care Packages Distributed Across St. James

More than 70,000 care packages have been distributed across St. James since the passage of Hurricane Melissa, as Government and relief partners intensify support to affected residents. Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, provided the update while addressing the ongoing humanitarian response across the parish. He was speaking to journalists after a follow-up meeting of the Emergency Operations Centre...
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Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery at Jamaica House on Wednesday (November 19).
Hurricane Relief & Recovery

Gov’t Exploring Strategies to Manage Hurricane Melissa Debris Across Parishes

The Government is exploring several strategies to manage the debris left across several parishes in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. “We are examining all the options, including recycling, using wood chippers to reduce the wood, having a structured approach to the recovery of scrap metals and other such strategies to make sure that we can properly manage this debris. Objective...
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Senior Planning Technician at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Kemar Rose.
EnvironmentHurricane Relief & Recovery

NEPA Leverages Advanced GIS Technology to Assess Damage Caused by Hurricane

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is leveraging advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to assess the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Melissa and to strengthen Jamaica’s preparedness for future weather events. During a recent JIS ‘Studio 58A’ live discussion, representatives from NEPA outlined the Agency’s ongoing assessment efforts and the critical role of technology in national recovery. Senior...
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