Emergency Response Network to Support Persons with Disabilities

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has activated an emergency response network to support persons with disabilities (PWDs) following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

The assistance is being channelled through the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), which has received more than 110 calls from individuals requiring evacuation, food, shelter, and welfare checks.

In a release on November 3, the Ministry advised that teams have responded swiftly, working alongside the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the police, and parish coordinators to relocate and support affected persons with disabilities in parishes such as Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, and Westmoreland.

In addition, the JCPD conducted on-site assessments in Littiz, St. Elizabeth, where food packages were delivered to 30 clients, including a group of nine deaf persons in Junction, St. Elizabeth.

The Ministry said it continues to deploy food, mattresses, and welfare assistance to shelters and remote areas through close coordination with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Air Wing and other partners.

The Ministry reiterates its commitment to serving and supporting PWDs, particularly in the aftermath of the hurricane.

“We are deeply committed to ensuring that no person with a disability is left behind. This is what inclusive disaster response looks like – compassionate, coordinated, and human-centred,” the release said.

The Ministry’s Humanitarian Assistance Committee (HAC) has primary responsibility for household damage assessments, relief distribution, and emergency grant payments.

For more information, persons may call the Labour Division at 1(876) 922-9500-17 and/or the Security Division at 1(876) 922-8000-13.

Persons can also visit mlss.gov.jm.