00:00Hurricane Melissa struck the island on Tuesday 28 October. Parking sustained winds of up to
00:07185 mph at landfall, making it the strongest storm ever to hit Jamaica. In its wake,
00:14large parts of the island have suffered roof destruction, widespread flooding and landslides,
00:20especially in parishes like St Elizabeth Parish. Roads are blocked, communication networks and
00:26power grids badly affected. Power outages at roughly 77% of Jamaica lost electricity after the
00:33storm passage. Thousand displaced with over 25,000 people reported to be in shelters across the
00:39western half of Jamaica, though many more remained in damaged homes and the death toll on the island
00:46has risen to 15. Tourism is one of the sectors that has been hit the hardest, with airports and ports
00:52reported temporarily closed for the past couple of days. But in a media briefing today, Jamaica's
00:58energy transport and telecommunications minister, Daryl Vaz, stated that all three airports are now
01:04open for relief supplies to arrive on the island. All three international airports are now open for
01:10relief supplies. We are expecting nine flights. Cayman was the first this morning. Thank you again.
01:17And we expect nine relief flights into Norman Manley. We expect two into Ian Fleming through American
01:29Airlines. And we also expect two into Montego Bay this afternoon with the operators of the airport
01:37GAP sending from Mexico to cargo jets with supplies and also, obviously, technical support for the airport.
01:48And even better news, the Norman Manley Airport resumed operations this morning for commercial passengers
01:55and have 10 flights in and out of Jamaica, such as Caribbean, Copa, JetBlue, Cayman and American Airlines.
02:01Minister Daryl Vaz said the USF's seven public Wi-Fi hubs and 112 community Wi-Fi hotspots in the
02:09western region are down due to hurricane damage, power loss and internet service provider disruption.
02:15The use of Starlink satellite is an interim measure being employed to facilitate communication
02:21in affected communities while terrestrial infrastructure is being restored.
02:25We all know how important communication is in a time like this. There are people who still have
02:31not been able to make contact with their families, their loved ones, their friends, and road access
02:37is still impossible. So you can imagine the deep, deep sense of worry that is widespread across Jamaica.
02:46Installation of solar-powered hubs that can support Wi-Fi access and device charging for residents
02:52are also being undertaken. Minister Vaz also warned public passenger operators against hiking fares
02:59in areas affected by Hurricane Melissa, declaring zero tolerance by the police and the transport authority,
03:05noting that joint sting operations will be carried out to seize as many offenders as possible.
03:11He said that there have been reports of passengers being charged 50 to 100 percent above the said fares.
03:18Early estimates project losses for Jamaica could reach up to US $14 billion, threatening to erase decades of
03:26economic gains largely driven by tourism and agriculture sectors.
03:31An effort to rebuild the government led by Andrew Holness has declared a disaster area and launched a
03:37national relief platform. Support Jamaica.gov.jm for donations, reporting emergency needs and accessing shelters.
03:46A multi-layered disaster financing framework is active, including the National Natural Disaster Risk Fund,
03:52contingencies, insurance triggers, and credit facilities as part of the post-storm recovery strategy.
03:59The Ministry of Health is focusing also on vector control, mosquito-borne diseases, post-storm.
04:05Agriculture and fisheries face serious losses, particularly in parishes like St. Elizabeth and Clarendon,
04:12that play major roles in Jamaica's food supply chain. Restoring these will be essential for longer-term recovery.
04:20Jamaica expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support received regionally, including Trinidad and Tobago,
04:25and internationally as the United Kingdom has deployed approximately £2.5 million in humanitarian aid to
04:34Jamaica to provide shelter kits or water filters and blankets.
04:38There are many governments around the world that are offering support to us. We've gotten support
04:45from the US government. We've gotten support from the EU, from the UK. All of our Caribbean brothers and
04:52sisters have pledged support. I know Trinidad last night we were on the phone with them and they have a shipment
04:59coming to Jamaica. Many other entities around the world have pledged their support and we are so
05:05grateful to all of them. There are still many challenges ahead for the island, but the citizens
05:11are taking it one day at a time and doing so with hope of an even better Jamaica. Rochelle Edwards, TV6 News.
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