Ministry official reminds disaster victims of its $75,000 cash grant

Under the initiative, persons receive a cash grant of $75,000 while also being provided with in-kind support, such as food, toiletries and bedding.

Acting Director for Disaster, Rehabilitation and Welfare Management in the Ministry, Jacqueline Shepherd, explained that the facility is designed to provide relief assistance to persons affected by flooding, earthquakes, fire or any other emergency that might happen because of a disaster.

“When some agencies just operate in the hurricane season from June to November, the Ministry, as the primary agency with responsibility for social protection and is one of seven committees of the National Disaster Risk Management Council, known as the Humanitarian Assistance Committee, is in a protracted response mode at all times, so we respond to every disaster,” Ms. Shepherd said.

She told JIS News that one of the main areas of assistance provided is to persons affected by household fires.

“Once there’s a fire and we are informed of the fire, our first response is in-kind support, such as bedding, toiletries, food, mattress and so on, and then once a person is able to produce the fire report, they can get some monetary assistance. So, they can come into the office and make the application, and they are provided with monetary assistance. But our first response is relief items,” Ms. Shepherd noted.

The Acting Director explained that the Ministry is often informed of a fire by the persons affected, the Member of Parliament, the Parish Disaster Coordinator, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the Jamaica Fire Brigade, or it will be seen on television.

“Our social worker goes out, and they do the investigation. Most times the fire report is not immediately available, so our first response is the in-kind, and once the fire report is available, they come into the parish office and then make the application to get the monetary assistance,” Ms. Shepherd said.

“Our remit is not really housing, so if you are completely burnt out or you’re partly burnt… the support that we’re giving is in- kind and you get a cheque [which] is supposed to provide immediate relief. You would know what it is that you need immediately… to put back your life together.,” she added.

Ms. Shepherd also informed that referrals are made to other agencies for additional support.

Meanwhile, the Acting Director said the initiative has been impactful, as “we have changed the way a number of persons live, survive and are able to bounce back quickly after a disaster or an emergency”.

She also pointed to the different approaches taken when the disaster is on a national level, as opposed to an emergency.

“So, when we talk about major disasters or national disasters… national disasters result when over 20 families or households are affected or impacted. We operate at a national response at the Humanitarian Assistance Committee, which is one committee of the ODPEM that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security chairs,” the Acting Director said.

Ms. Shepherd said within that committee there are other stakeholders, to include the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Red Cross, HEART/NSTA Trust, Salvation Army, Police and the Municipal Corporation.

“So, when it’s a national disaster we operate as the Humanitarian Assistance Committee of the ODPEM, but when it comes to household fire, minor flooding, freak storms or so on, then our role is more at the Ministry and we are guided by a standard operational procedure,” she noted.