Residents in Black River receive care packages

Residents of Black River, St Elizabeth, who were severely affected by Hurricane Melissa, have begun receiving care packages and other essential relief items.

The initiative is being carried out by the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), in close coordination with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

The distribution formed part of a tour to the parish on Saturday (November 1), led by Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie.

Minister McKenzie expressed sympathy to residents who experienced losses and assured them that the Government remains committed to assisting them to recover.

"First of all, I want to express my sympathies and condolences to the residents here in St Elizabeth, especially the historical capital city of Black River... . It is going to take a lot of work to restore what existed before," he said.

During the tour, the Minister observed extensive damage to municipal buildings and community infrastructure, including the fire station, market, and municipal offices.

"The municipality only exist by virtue of name, but in terms of its administration... the fire brigade headquarters... the market... and the council meeting space have all been severely affected," he noted.

McKenzie said steps are being taken to re-establish basic services, including communication, in the parish.

"We have brought Starlink into the parish today to give the Mayor... . This will allow us to create some level of communication," he said.

He added that the parish's ability to generate revenue and operate normally has been impacted, noting that the focus now is on recovery and restoration.

The Minister expressed deep concern over the extent of the damage, describing the devastation as unlike anything he had ever seen.

However, he argued that the situation presents an opportunity to rebuild, highlighting the strength and resilience of the Jamaican people. "This gives us an opportunity to build again... . We are a strong and resilient people... and we will recover," he emphasised.

Highlighting the strong sense of community among the Jamaican people, the Minister said that on his way to Black River he saw "hundreds of vehicles with people getting water and getting supplies, ready to help".

He also acknowledged the support Jamaica is receiving from regional and international partners.

"CDEMA (Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency) is in-country, and the Head of the agency arrived last night along with a team from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. We met to discuss how best they can assist, including bringing in additional Starlink support and helping with data collection," he said.

Minister McKenzie added that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, continues to coordinate regional assistance and manage incoming relief supplies through a national coordination committee, co-chaired by his Ministry.

For his part, GEM President, Michael Capponi, said the organisation was deeply moved by the destruction in St Elizabeth.

"We're here with a convoy of seven trucks to bring aid to this community... working alongside ODPEM, Minister McKenzie, and many others. We are here to just start the process of support recovery... everything will come back; it's just a question of time and money," he said.

Mayor of Black River and Chairman of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, Councillor Richard Solomon, expressed gratitude for the assistance provided, particularly the communication equipment and relief supplies.

"One of the challenges we are experiencing now is the lack of communication to get information out and in... . What the Minister has provided today will be of significant support to the parish of St Elizabeth," he said.

He added that plans are under way to relocate the parish's Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which was destroyed during the hurricane. "We are a resilient set of people... and we will rebuild stronger and better," the Mayor affirmed.

The relief distribution in Black River forms part of the wider national effort to aid and assess damage in parishes that were the hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa last week.

- JIS

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