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  • 2 weeks ago

The Concerned Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago continues its relief efforts in disaster-torn Jamaica.

The Non-governmental Organisation, which began its work on the island on Monday, has now made its way into some of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa.

Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00Devastation and destruction in every direction.
00:09Here in Black River, Jamaica, where Hurricane Melissa offloaded her Category 5 fury,
00:14the need for assistance is evident to the eye before a single word is uttered.
00:19The NGO, the concerned Muslims of TNT, made it to this area
00:23as it began distributing relief supplies to affected parts of the island on Monday.
00:28The CMTT describes the damage to property, road, electrical infrastructure,
00:34businesses and beachfronts as unbelievable.
00:37Shoaib, who was born in Black River and eventually built a business there,
00:41says he left for Spanish Town the Thursday before Melissa struck.
00:46The incident cut him off from his family for days as he was unable to reach them by telephone.
00:51I was kind of worried, so I tried to come down about two days after the storm
00:56and I couldn't reach the area.
00:59But then on Saturday I came down and when I reached here it was by total devastation.
01:06I was shocked.
01:07I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
01:1095% of the houses, totally damaged.
01:15He's one of the fortunate ones.
01:17His family and business survived the hurricane.
01:19Today, the CMTT says it was able to provide relief supplies to the St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland parishes,
01:27located on the southwestern side of Jamaica.
01:30As that Monday, the group would spend a day on the road was able to undertake four distribution drives,
01:36while the fifth had to be done with assistance from civil servant Latanya Dennis,
01:40due to impassable roads in the southern region.
01:43A mosque in the town of Newell was the first to receive aid,
01:59followed by the Newell Medical Center, where the group states the staff have been working tirelessly around the clock.
02:07And a third distribution was done at the Newell High School shelter.
02:12Shelter manager Melva Williams points to a bit of an improvement at that site.
02:16When we start, we start with 121, but now we are down to 54 persons.
02:23So far, we get a lot of assistance.
02:27Even now, we appreciate.
02:29We appreciate a lot.
02:31So far, we would like more like dental and those things.
02:36There's a lot of persons, so we have all puff flies and things.
02:39But food supplies are going on.
02:41Thanks so much.
02:42That is sanitation.
02:43Yes, sanitation.
02:44Sanitizing it.
02:45Yeah, because...
02:46Chemicals.
02:47Right.
02:47According to holistic consultant Dr. Laren Parchmont,
02:51health remains a major concern in some areas.
02:54Because we have a lot of dead animals in St. Elizabeth now,
02:58and the waters we have on the road,
03:00so we have to help in person how they can understand not to touch these things,
03:04stay away from these things as best as possible,
03:06right there to water, that they can get cantonated.
03:09As for the response to the relief provided...
03:12Thank you to the Muslim society that is here today, that is giving so much to Jamaica.
03:18The CMTT did its fourth distribution in Burns, Savannah,
03:22where it says many families suffered a lot of losses,
03:25and the homes of several elderly people were destroyed.
03:28Head of the CMTT MTAs, Mohammed, says, quote,
03:31People were generally happy that they received a hamper.
03:35They were thankful.
03:37It is very sad to see their homes destroyed.
03:39Many people still haven't received anything.
03:42Roads are still blocked,
03:44and a lot of electricity poles are leaning or falling flat underground,
03:48creating a danger to people.
03:50End quote.
03:51The group says it will be providing aid to Hanover and St. James next.
03:56Those areas are on the northwestern side of the island.
03:59Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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