CAYMAN JAMAICA HUMANITARIAN OUTREACH RAISED IN FINANCE COMMITTEE

By Staff Writer

The harrowing scenes of the devastation in western Jamaica caused by historic Hurricane Melissa are being matched by an international outpouring of support for the country’s stricken areas.

With Cayman leading off the international response with the first government-organised aid flight into the country, more relief is already underway and other humanitarian outreach steps are being considered.

Following a government-organised Cayman Airways aid mission led by Hon. Premier Andre Ebanks, a team of engineers from Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) has been dispatched for a month-long deployment to Jamaica to assist their counterparts with restoring electricity to some of the hardest-hit areas.

Now, another gesture of Caymankind for Jamaica has been raised in a meeting of the Cayman Islands Parliament Finance Committee.

Hon. Deputy Opposition Leader, Kenneth Bryan, asked if the government was considering relaxing visa requirements for eligible Jamaicans seriously affected by the hurricane to be hosted by relatives in Cayman for an interim period.

“Is the Minister aware or concerned about any hindrances in the visa application for persons who may want to come over as a way of relief, if they have persons here that can help from an affordability perspective, take care of them until their circumstances back home are in a better state? I’m specifically talking about the elderly and children.”

Addressing the matter, Hon. Min. for Home Affairs, Nikolas DaCosta, said the existing visa provisions allow for such steps to be taken.

“As it relates to the elderly and children, there’s no hindrance,” he explained. “Children under the age of 15 and elderly persons above the age of 70 do not need a visa to come, so there’s no hindrance on them entering Cayman.”

Deputy Opposition leader Bryan (Progressives), expanding on his question, wondered if that facility extended to hurricane-impacted persons with disabilities whose situation in Jamaica would have worsened because of the disaster.

“I was thinking about persons…who would still be considered to be a dependent in some capacity on the fringes of those age brackets,” he stated, asking if there are “provisions for them to visit for a short period of time.”

Cayman has longstanding historical family and cultural ties with Jamaica and shares a further empathy, having itself suffered the severity of Category 4 hurricane Ivan in 2004. The neighbouring island was among the first to come to Cayman’s assistance.

COUNTING THE COST

The extent of the devastation in the western areas of Jamaica caused by Hurricane Melissa, becomes more visible with each passing day, seen in numerous videos, media reports and official updates.

The death toll continues to rise, with over 45 persons known to have perished according to recent figures, with another 14 unaccounted for. The damage estimate is already spiralling with updated official estimates of US$7 billion and mounting. Thousands of homes, businesses, key infrastructure and services have been either destroyed or severely damaged, with villages literally obliterated - some submerged in extensive flooding.

Amidst signs of desperation in some of the most severely-affected and hard-to-reach communities, a massive relief programme is underway with huge amounts of international aid flowing into the country. That’s in addition to the relief and recovery programmes of the Jamaica government, a network of community organisations and individual efforts.

CONTRAST

The trail of destruction across most of south western Jamaica - mainly the St Elizabeth parish, including Black River and other impacted areas - is contrasted by an aura of ‘business-as-usual’ in the other two-thirds of Jamaica.

Already, in parts of the key tourism north coast, which were not as severely affected as previously feared, moves are underway to revive the vital tourism sector. Hotspots such as Ocho Rios and the Port Antonio hub are up and running, aiming to capitalise on the upcoming peak winter tourist season, while the bustling activity continues in the west coast capital and commercial centre, Kingston and elsewhere.