U$22m relief effort bearing fruit, says US Embassy official

WESTERN BUREAU:

The United States (US) has indicated it is satisfied that its US$22-million hurricane relief support is helping Jamaicans recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, with a strong focus on health and mental health services across western parishes.

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires in Jamaica, Scott Renner, made the remarks during a visit to Montego Bay, St James, on Friday where he toured recovery activities carried out by humanitarian organisation Project HOPE, one of the key partners implementing the US-funded programme.

“I’ve been to Montego Bay a few times right after the hurricane, but I wanted to come out here and see the resilience, see the recovery, see what’s really happening,” Renner told The Gleaner.

“I’ve seen pictures, I’ve read reports, but this is my first opportunity to get out of the office and visit one of these sites and see what they’re doing. In particular, I wanted to visit Project HOPE, which is one of our main partners,” he added.

Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica in late October as a powerful Category 5 storm, caused widespread destruction across the island, particularly in St James, Westmoreland, Trelawny and St Elizabeth. The hurricane brought destructive winds and flooding that damaged homes, hospitals and farms, leaving thousands of families struggling to rebuild in the months since.

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE

Renner said the US Government’s assistance is being delivered through humanitarian partners working directly in affected communities.

“The US Government made a significant contribution of US$22 million to the recovery and relief programme, but we don’t implement it ourselves – we work through partners,” he said.

Among those partners is Project HOPE, which has been deploying mobile medical teams to provide healthcare services in hurricane-affected communities.

“In Project HOPE’s case, they told me they’ve carried out 82 of these outreach activities since the hurricane – that’s roughly two out of every three days they’re out here doing this,” Renner noted.

He added that it is especially meaningful to see the direct impact of the assistance.

“It’s always great when the work of the embassy can affect real people’s daily lives and help. We do important bilateral work, but this is about what the US Embassy is doing for the people of Jamaica,” he said.

Renner stressed that the assistance reflects the contributions of ordinary Americans.

“This is all US taxpayers. These are individuals in the United States who pay their taxes and want to see their government help a country like Jamaica in times of trouble,” the Kingston-based chargé d’affaires explained.

He also underscored the importance of addressing psychological trauma in the aftermath of disasters, particularly among children.

“You can look at people and think they’re fine – moving along as if everything is normal – but the mental impact is different. That’s what I’m especially focused on, particularly with children who have gone through this,” he said.

“They’re confused, they don’t fully understand what’s happening, and in some cases their parents may no longer be working because the hotel has closed. I love the work being done here to support those children and other vulnerable people.”

Renner emphasised that recovery must go beyond physical rebuilding.

“Rebuilding isn’t just about putting a roof back on your house – it’s about getting yourself back to a state where you’re okay again,” he said.

MENTAL HEATH SUPPORT

Project HOPE’s Emergency Response Coordinator in Jamaica, Kemesha Kelly-Swaby, said the organisation has integrated mental health and psychosocial support into its outreach.

“As a global health organisation, we see health in a holistic way, and that includes mental health,” Kelly-Swaby said.

“We have a strong mental health and psychosocial support team that works alongside our mobile medical units, because we don’t see it as separate.”

The programme began just one week after the hurricane and has since reached thousands of Jamaicans.

“We started in November, just one week after the hurricane, and to date we have impacted more than 125,000 Jamaicans across these affected parishes,” she said.

The outreach has included mobile medical clinics, mental health consultations, and water, sanitation and hygiene support in communities across St James, Westmoreland, Trelawny and St Elizabeth.

Kelly-Swaby noted that the scale of the programme would not have been possible without US support.

“Without the support of the United States Government, we would not have had the funding to implement a programme of this scale and reach,” she said.

“And to the people of the United States of America, Jamaica is grateful,” she added.

The US$22-million hurricane response package is being distributed through several humanitarian organisations, including US$4.5 million to the World Food Programme for food assistance and logistics, US$2 million to Project HOPE for healthcare and WASH services, and US$2.5 million to Samaritan’s Purse for shelter and sanitation support to displaced households.

Renner also praised Jamaicans who stepped up to assist their neighbours in the aftermath of the hurricane.

“I love that spirit of helping each other as we lift each other up,” he said. “It’s been very impressive to be out here.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com