Belize Red Cross Launches Appeal to Aid Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa’s Deadly Devastation

Thousands of people in Jamaica are still without power as the death toll from Hurricane Melissa continues to rise, now moving to 32 with eight other unconfirmed deaths which are being investigated. Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon made the announcement at a press conference at Jamaica House in St Andrew on Monday. The category five hurricane which hit the island nation on Tuesday last, caused widespread devastation, particularly in the Western parishes. Today. several organizations and groups have joined forces to fast track the recovery efforts. Lily Bowman who Directs the Red Cross Society in Belize says the damage left behind in Melissa’s wake is difficult to quantify and is seeking the kind assistance of Belizeans to help our Jamaican sisters and brothers in time of need.

Lily Bowman, Director, Belize Red Cross: “A lot of people have lost  every single thing.  When you think about that, you’re left with the clothes on your back. I mean, we see that when fires and so in Belize, but really and truly we’ve never really seen it to that extent in a hurricane, for instance.  People may lose their roof, side, side of their house, their stairs,  some  items, but never everything. The appeal that we have ongoing is asking for monetary contributions to send to Jamaica, especially to Jamaica, because they’re the ones who need it the most right now.  Our international federation has been  on the ground as well and has been sending specialized  people from around the region to support in different areas. They have already mobilized uh in kind assistance, relief assistance, because we have prepositioned stocks out in the Caribbean islands for exactly this, for ease of transfer to the affected islands. So they have moved already about 180 tons of relief, 20 to Cuba and 160 to Jamaica. The International Federation themselves have launched a global appeal for 23 million US dollars for 180,000 people. So you could imagine the magnitude of support that the people need.”

She spoke of how Belizeans can make their donation.

Lily Bowman, Director, Belize Red Cross: “You can come in person to the office or on the screen I noticed there’s our flyer and our account numbers are there. We have an account in Belize Bank and one at Heritage Bank. Please, every little amount helps. Like I said, if every family in Belize or at least every other family in Belize would give $100, $50, that would be something. That would go a long way to support these people who have nothing right now. When people receive cash and I don’t know if the cash that we send will be transferred to them as cash.  It might be put into what at that time they see as their priority.  Like when we have our cash transfer programs here in response,  it gives people a sense of independence and a little preservation of dignity  that they can go into the store and buy what they think they need.  All around, it’s very important to provide both in kind and cash. And we ask that everybody please give their names when depositing it so that we can reconcile easily.  Everybody will get a thank you letter and a receipt.”

Cognizant that the Christmas holidays are upon us, Bowman makes a special appeal on behalf of all Jamaicans.

Lily Bowman, Director, Belize Red Cross: “These people over there probably won’t even have a Christmas.  They will still be digging up in their rubbles. They will still be trying to find  how they could help themselves, how they could put back their homes.  This money from the appeal will definitely go into reconstruction in a more resilient manner and improvement  of these people’s lives. We’ll try and rebuild them back. The Federation has moved from the immediate phase of assistance to reconstruction now, recovery.”