Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness says the Government is ramping up Hurricane Melissa relief efforts and has now embarked on a systematic response.
Holness, speaking at a press conference at Jamaica House today, said the Government did well in the hurricane preparation phase but noted that the movement of the Category 5 storm posed a challenge.
He said this affected the relief phase, with adjustments being made to position the country to go into action.
He said the Government has responded with relief to affected Jamaicans and is now moving toward a more systematic response.
Holness said he is aware of the suffering being faced by persons in the affected areas and that all efforts are being made to provide supplies and other assistance.
“I hear the cry of every baby that is hungry in every community that is not yet reached. It goes to bed with me,” Holness said.
He said the Government is focused on putting systems in place to quickly reach as many people as possible instead of focusing on one desperate case at a time.
“I have to think of it in this way: do I try myself to jump on a helicopter with a package to reach the baby that is crying? Or do I try to develop a system to get more helicopters in, to get more packages put together, to get more supplies in, to get more support to be able to reach those babes that are crying?”
He said the Government wants to see a cohesive and coordinated response exercise, noting that a systematic approach is better for a sustainable response.
Holness pointed to the work of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) in logistics and disaster response, among other areas, saying that the army has an important role to play in the hurricane recovery effort.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Holness announced that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) was brought under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to strengthen national coordination and improve logistical support for the Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.
The following day, OPM reported that Commander Alvin Gayle has been seconded from the Jamaica Defence Force to serve as Director General of ODPEM.
Richard Thompson, who was Acting Director General of ODPEM, will now support the Office in the establishment of strategic frameworks and systems that will help guide Jamaica’s recovery programme.
“The JDF gives the legs and arms to the management functions of the emergency, so it makes sense that there is seamless coordination between JDF and ODPEM,” said Holness.
Holness said Jamaica’s recovery mission will take months, stressing that the Government has been working on strengthening systems for effective sustainability.
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