ODPEM to advocate for relocation

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), says it will be advocating for transitional housing or relocation of persons in Chigwell, Forest, Pierce’s Village in Hanover and New River in St. Elizabeth.
Those communities are extremely susceptible to flooding and hurricane damage, with some still inundated following the passage of Tropical Storm Nicole.
“We recognise that there are some persons who might not be able to re-inhabit their homes and so we are going to be looking at what’s next moving forward,” Director General of ODPEM, Ronald Jackson told JIS News in an interview, today (November 5).
He said there are lands in close proximity which are not flood prone, which could be utilised for relocation.
Mr. Jackson said the ODPEM is also looking at ways in which temporary support could be provided for farmers. He said the ODPEM is dialoguing with the Ministries of Agriculture and Labour and Social Security to find ways to assist small farmers, particularly in Chigwell, whose crops have been inundated.
“We will begin a process in which we look at those members who are interested in relocating, and those who will have to relocate by virtue of the fact that their homes are in a zone that will always be impacted,” he said.
“There are also those who are affected, but depend on farming to survive. We have to look at what kind of subsistence [we can give] and for how long we can provide support. So, we are looking at a number of options where we can use alternative farming to get them back into production and back into self-sustenance,” Mr. Jackson added.