标签： Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s government has announced a multi-faceted recovery strategy to address housing devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, with the first shipment of modular homes expected to arrive by February’s end. Education, Skills, Youth and Information Minister Senator Dana Morris Dixon confirmed the timeline during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

The modular housing initiative represents a critical component of the broader Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP), which encompasses six distinct government-led efforts. The National Housing Trust (NHT) is spearheading the acquisition of approximately 5,000 modular units to meet urgent accommodation needs across affected regions.

Concurrent with housing delivery, the government has deployed Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) personnel alongside international teams from partner nations including Guyana and Ghana to execute reconstruction projects in the most severely impacted parishes. This collaborative approach combines local knowledge with global expertise in disaster recovery.

A particularly innovative aspect of the SRP involves the BRIDGE program (Building Resilience and Inspiring Development through Guided Experience), administered through the HEART/NSTA Trust. This initiative recruits unemployed youth from hurricane-damaged communities for intensive construction training programs. Participants will subsequently work alongside JDF soldiers and international teams, gaining practical experience while contributing to rebuilding efforts.

Minister Morris Dixon emphasized the dual benefit of this approach: “We’re not just rebuilding homes; we’re creating transformative opportunities for young people to acquire trade skills, experience international best practices, and fundamentally redirect their career trajectories. This represents both immediate disaster response and long-term workforce development.”

The United Kingdom is grappling with severe disruption and tragedy in the wake of Storm Chandra, which battered the nation with extreme wind and torrential rain on Tuesday. The adverse weather has resulted in at least one fatality and precipitated a major flooding crisis, prompting the issuance of over 200 official alerts across the country.

According to a BBC report, the storm claimed the life of a truck driver in Hampshire after his vehicle was involved in a catastrophic accident, crashing into a swollen river. Widespread scenes of devastation have emerged from multiple regions, depicting submerged streets, abandoned vehicles, and floodwaters breaching residential and commercial properties.

Meteorological analysis indicates that Storm Chandra represents the third officially named tempest to strike the UK this year, arriving shortly after the departure of its predecessor, Storm Ingrid. A critical factor exacerbating the flooding was the already saturated ground condition from previous rainfall, which drastically reduced the land’s capacity to absorb Chandra’s deluge, leading to rapid runoff and overflow.

The severity of the situation necessitated urgent evacuations in high-risk zones. Authorities mandated the immediate evacuation of the Iford Bridge Home Park, a residential area in Dorset, citing an imminent ‘danger to life’ from the rising waters.

While meteorological forecasts for Wednesday suggest a reduction in precipitation, the aftermath remains critically severe. As of Wednesday, 87 high-level flood warnings, indicating expected flooding, remained active alongside 207 flood alerts, which signal potential flooding. This state of high alert extends across England, Wales, and Scotland, as emergency services continue to manage the widespread impacts and assess the full extent of the damage.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is executing a comprehensive modernization strategy focused on transforming institutional infrastructure and security protocols to elevate rehabilitation standards for incarcerated individuals. Commissioner noted this initiative during his address at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) 10th Best Practice Symposium for Social and Community Renewal on January 28.

The commissioner emphasized that rehabilitation begins immediately upon intake, with enhanced physical environments serving as foundational to educational advancement, skills acquisition, and personal development. “Our commitment to humane treatment extends to improving the physical environment where rehabilitation occurs,” he stated, announcing an upcoming media tour to showcase these transformations publicly.

Substantial upgrades have been applied to critical facilities including classrooms, vocational workshops for tailoring and welding, computer laboratories, and inmate radio stations. These improvements are designed to meet professional benchmarks equivalent to national training institutions and HEART/NSTA Trust standards. “These are deliberate enhancements creating dignified, structured spaces for meaningful rehabilitation,” Commissioner Mason affirmed.

A significant outcome of this initiative will be the launch of an online store featuring products crafted by offenders, advancing institutional self-sufficiency and inmate earning potential. Concurrently, the DCS is reinforcing security through state-of-the-art full-body and bag scanners at all facilities, plus a specialized gate management team to standardize procedures and enhance vigilance during critical hours.

The department is also implementing dynamic inmate reclassification processes that support appropriate work placements and enable qualified individuals to transfer to lower-security institutions. This evidence-based approach tailors interventions to individual risk levels, accounting for literacy, mental health needs, and learning styles to maximize rehabilitation efficacy.

The Sydney Pagon STEM Academy in Elim, St Elizabeth, has been struck by criminals for the third time in recent years, with armed thieves stealing seven valuable goats worth approximately $500,000 Jamaican dollars. The incident occurred Monday night as the agricultural institution continues to recover from extensive damage caused by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa three months ago.

According to Principal Milbert Miller, the thieves fired two shots to intimidate security personnel during the brazen operation. The stolen livestock included five bucks and two does, with one pair having been recently donated by Jamaica’s Ministry of Agriculture to improve the school’s breeding stock. The loss represents a significant setback to both the educational program and nutritional initiatives that benefit students.

The academy, situated on over 200 acres just miles from Santa Cruz, specializes in agricultural education alongside STEM subjects. The goats, sheep, and rabbits maintained on the property serve dual purposes: providing hands-on learning opportunities for students who often apply these skills at home, and supplying protein for the school’s nutritional program.

Principal Miller expressed particular concern about the theft of their ‘service buck,’ which will severely impact their breeding capabilities. The school has suffered approximately $1.5 million in total losses from repeated thefts in recent years. Miller cited the lack of electricity in the area as enabling criminals to operate under cover of darkness and appealed for enhanced security measures including armed personnel and surveillance cameras to protect the vulnerable institution.

ANNATTO BAY, St. Mary — A transformative initiative is bringing legal electricity and renewed dignity to residents of rural Jamaica through the government’s Rural Electrification Programme (REP). The program, implemented through a partnership between the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), is regularizing previously unauthorized connections while installing proper electrical infrastructure.

Sixty-year-old Kerron Buchanan, once disconnected from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) grid due to unaffordable accumulating bills, now watches with anticipation as certified electricians install a new breaker box at his Cargill Lane residence. “I maintained monthly payments, but the carried-over balances became insurmountable,” Buchanan recounted, describing the financial strain that led to his disconnection.

Buchanan is among more than 70 Annatto Bay residents who received complete household rewiring on January 21, marking a significant step in normalizing their electrical access. The emotional impact was palpable as Buchanan shared his immediate plans: “The first thing I will do is play some music and clean up the place.”

Local cosmetologist Malika Murray expressed profound relief at transitioning from an illegal connection to authorized service. She described the constant anxiety of living with unauthorized electricity: “When you see a JPS vehicle, your heart leaps because you don’t know if they’re coming with police to your house.” Murray praised the utility’s initiative and committed to maintaining regular payments, encouraging fellow community members to embrace legal connections. “No more hide and seek. Legal light, and it feels good,” she beamed.

The current initiative continues work that began in 2023 under former Member of Parliament Dr. Norman Dunn, with Annatto Bay representing the first phase in St. Mary South Eastern where over 100 households were previously regularized. REP liaison officer Omar Love confirmed the program’s expansion across the constituency, with more than 300 residents slated for regularization.

Established with a mandate to extend electricity access to rural regions, REP supports the government’s broader objective of island-wide power availability to stimulate economic development. The institutional framework was strengthened in 2006 when JSIF signed a memorandum of understanding with REP and JPS to facilitate household regularization across 12 inner-city communities. The program encompasses complete household wiring and certification of contractor-performed electrical work.