KINGSTON, Jamaica — The government has announced a program called the Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Support (REACH) Program to boost recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Beryl.
Announcing the move in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said key elements of the programme were:
*Distribution of food and essential items
*Restoration of public services, water, electricity and communications
*Housing and reconstruction assistance
*Economic recovery and restoration of livelihoods
In terms of distribution of food and essential items, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security is distributing relief supplies.
“These supplies contain enough food to last a family of four for four days. By today (Tuesday), about 5,000 households will have received the supplies,” Holness said.
He said the government was coordinating the ongoing distribution of food, water, medical supplies and other necessities to residents in the hardest-hit areas, in partnership with agencies such as Food for the Poor, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.
The prime minister said the government was also focusing on dengue mitigation efforts “to ensure that there is no outbreak at this point.”
Meanwhile, the Administration will provide an additional $4 million to each of the 63 constituencies through the Constituency Development Fund. This is on top of the $5 million previously allocated. The hardest hit constituencies will receive an additional $3 million. The additional $4 million will primarily be used to help with replacing roofs.
“Everybody who receives a benefit has to sign it,” Holness warned lawmakers, adding that “a disaster or emergency does not suspend accountability.”
The prime minister stressed that the distribution of relief supplies must be a bipartisan effort, saying, “Catastrophes and disasters know no race or affiliation.”
Regarding public services, the Prime Minister noted that tremendous efforts are being made to restore water, electricity and communications services. While acknowledging that much work remains, the Prime Minister praised the public and private sector teams who have been working around the clock to restore services.
