Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, says that emergency personnel now have access to all communities following the widespread impact of Hurricane Melissa. “No community in Jamaica remains marooned,” he said, noting that “for us, being marooned means that the only way to enter that community is via air. “There are...

The Government has formally requested the international community, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, bilateral development partners, climate finance platforms, and multilateral development banks, to assemble a reconstruction support package that scales with Jamaica’s ambitions and needs. Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the disclosure during a statement to the House of Representatives on...

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) continues to intensify garbage collection islandwide, clearing communities of waste and debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Addressing a press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday (November 26), Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, announced that more private operators have been introduced to assist with the collection process....

A total of 45 deaths have been confirmed in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, with 16 individuals still missing, as search, restoration, and relief efforts continue across the island. Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, provided the update during a Special Press Briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday (November 26). In...

The National Housing Trust (NHT) is in the process of procuring the first 2,500 semi-permanent housing units under the rapid deployment housing initiative. Assistant General Manager for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at the NHT, Dwayne Berbick, made the announcement today (November 26), while addressing a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery, at the Office of the Prime Minister...

Jamaica is set to receive an additional US$4 million from the United Nations (UN) Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to accelerate life-saving humanitarian activities in parishes hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa. The funding will be implemented through five UN-affiliated agencies – the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) continues to maintain a fully activated national response system, sustaining coordinated relief, assessment, and distribution efforts across the island. Speaking at a Special Press Briefing on Hurricane Melissa Recovery at Jamaica House, on November 26, Director General of ODPEM, Commander Alvin Gayle, reported that ODPEM continues to coordinate “national [and] international...