PM says some of donated hurricane funds will go to the JDF, ODPEM

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) are to receive part of the $1.4 billion in hurricane recovery donations to replenish emergency building supplies depleted during post-Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness made the announcement during his Labour Day visit to Lewis Town Early Childhood Institution in Brompton, St Elizabeth.

“We are going to restock the JDF and ODPEM with building materials. We have the funds to do it now, so that you can go on to do another 500 roofs,” he said.

Holness also defended the Government’s handling of the donated funds, insisting the administration deliberately avoided rushing to spend cash in Hurricane Melissa’s immediate aftermath while large volumes of humanitarian supplies were entering the country. 

“We want to be able to say to those people who have contributed, Jamaica has put on 1,000 roofs. This is the material. This is what you have spent on,” he said. “That’s something that you can see – tangible, accountable, traceable.” 

Holness also rejected suggestions that the auditor general’s report had uncovered irregularities involving hurricane relief supplies.

“It didn’t say the materials were stolen, but there was an administrative accounting failure,” he said.

According to him, the issue stemmed largely from the logistical realities of late-night deliveries.

“The JDF operates 24 hours. ODPEM operates nine to five. The truckers are carrying in the material when there is less traffic and congestion, so by the time they reach here when people are gone, only JDF is here to sign,” he said.

He also disclosed that part of the donated funds will support the Government’s modular housing recovery programme, including the construction of a new community in Westmoreland for hurricane victims.

“We are building a small community in Westmoreland to facilitate those persons who were being housed at the Petersfield shelter,” he said.

The prime minister said several hundred modular housing units had already been secured.

“We made a promise of about 2,500 modular, semi-permanent prefabricated housing units through the NHT (National Housing Trust). The Government of China has given us some, the Ministry of Housing has purchased some, and I believe it’s the Red Cross that is giving us some as well. So we may get up to 3,000 modular units,” he said, adding that the Government would not distribute the units without having the proper supporting infrastructure in place.

“Whatever units we put down, they must be on a proper base because if you put them down on anything that is not firm and flat they will warp – defects and all of that – so we are going to have to build a proper base for them, a concrete base.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com