Munro College in St. Elizabeth has weathered many storms in its nearly 170-year history, but the last two years have tested the school like never before. After struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, the all-boys institution, nestled in the cool Santa Cruz Mountains, was once again battered by a category-five monster, Hurricane Melissa, on...

Sales are picking up for vendors at the popular Border food stop, following Government’s intervention to reconstruct the stalls that were flattened during the passage of Hurricane Melissa. The popular roadside eatery, located on the St. Elizabeth-Westmoreland boundary, is well known for local favourites such as fish, bammy and festival. The rebuilding of the cluster of 44 shops was made...

The iconic Holland Bamboo, in St. Elizabeth, once a lush covering of bamboo trees which intersect over the road, now shows signs of devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. Kemar Kennedy, a peanut and jelly coconut vendor, who has worked at his stall in Holland Bamboo for three years, says recovery of the area is important and very personal. Mr. Kennedy...

Volunteers of the humanitarian non-profit organisation, World Central Kitchen (WCK), were recently honoured for their support in Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts, during a ‘Gratitude Concert’ featuring reggae recording artiste Peter Lloyd and the ‘Fi Real’ Band, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James. The crowd broke into cheers as WCK announced it had achieved the milestone of delivering...

A team of 25 HEART/NSTA Trust trainees is helping to advance restoration efforts at Jakes Hotel in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth. The hotel was badly hit during the passage of Category Five Hurricane Melissa on October 28. The trainees were deployed on December 2 from three Southwest TVET Institute campuses – Black River and Derrick Rochester (Junction) in St. Elizabeth,...

Support from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has significantly strengthened Jamaica’s response and recovery efforts, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa on October 28. Regional Deputy Director, OCHA, Rogerio Mobilia, said that a team was deployed to Jamaica after the storm to support coordination, data collection and alignment among humanitarian partners. He was...

As Jamaica continues its recovery following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the importance of unified support in strengthening the country’s response and long-term resilience is being highlighted. Team Lead of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Operations Support Team within the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Major General Rodney Smart, said that having national, regional and international support after any major...

When Hurricane Melissa tore through sections of Jamaica on October 28 as a category-five storm, it left a painful reminder that in disaster zones, hunger can be a stubborn companion to destruction. In response, an international nonprofit organisation known for turning crisis into meals – World Central Kitchen (WCK) – has mobilised with astonishing speed, transforming makeshift kitchens into lifelines...