Enviro News Asia, Kingston — Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, has confirmed that all officially designated hurricane shelters across Jamaica will remain open for as long as necessary to support residents affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) in Kingston, Minister McKenzie reported that nearly 15,000 Jamaicans are currently being housed in emergency shelters islandwide. “It is safe to say that our shelters have seen increased numbers. We also notice there are communities where residents have created makeshift shelters, and in most cases, we were able to get limited supplies to those persons,” he said.
The Minister emphasized that no shelter will be closed without official authorization from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). “No shelters can be closed unless those instructions come from myself as the Minister or from ODPEM. Once the shelters are designated by law, their management is vested in the Municipal Corporations and ODPEM,” McKenzie stated.
He further assured that schools and other facilities used as shelters will be restored to their original condition once their designation is lifted. “It is required that once the school is handed over, the government takes possession under the Disaster Risk Management Act. The commitment given is that once the shelter is handed back, it is returned in the same condition in which it was received,” the Minister explained.
McKenzie also noted that necessary repairs will be undertaken if any school suffers damage while being used as a shelter. “If a school experiences damage because it was used as a shelter, the requisite resources will be found to ensure repairs are made,” he added. (*)
