PRIME Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday announced a new programme – Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Help (REACH) — to assist citizens who were severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl last week with food and other essential supplies.

At the same time, he said the Administration also faces a repair cost of $10.25 billion for significant damage to the country’s road network, battered by the Category 4 hurricane for several hours.

In a statement to Parliament, Holness noted that while data and information are still being collected in the field, the preliminary assessment is that over 500 parochial roads have been affected in varying degrees.

“In terms of the level of repair that will be needed and the cost, it is significant to our main road networks. We are still tallying the damage to the parochial roads and, as I give regular updates, these figures will become available. Many areas remain inaccessible, complicating our relief efforts, but the National Works Agency (NWA) advised me that there were 200 main corridors that were blocked and all blocked main corridors at least have been afforded single-lane passage,” he said.

Turning to the relief initiative, the prime minister said the major elements of the REACH programme will include the distribution of food and essential supplies, utility, water, electricity and telecommunications restoration, housing and reconstruction support and economic recovery and restoration of livelihoods.

“In terms of the distribution of food and essential supplies, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security has been distributing care packages, containing tin foods, flour, rice, cooking oil and other items through their network of social workers. These care packages contain enough food for a family of four, for four days. By today (Tuesday), approximately 5,000 families would have received care packages. We are coordinating. We continue distribution of food, water, medical sundries and other essentials to citizens in the most affected areas,” he said.

He said that this outreach is being done in the most affected areas and includes collaboration with organisations such as Food for the Poor, the Salvation Army, and the Red Cross to ensure that aid reaches those in need promptly.

Holness said, too, that the Government has begun a rapid assessment of the extent of damage to housing infrastructure in the most affected parishes.

“Based on this assessment we will craft and announce a programme to provide support to households in repairing damage to their property, roofs, housing etcetera,” he said, pointing out that the Government will not be able to assist every single Jamaican that has lost their roof.

He said there has to be a process that determines who is assisted and that process has to be absolutely transparent so that nobody can charge that favouritism or some skullduggery is involved “why this one get and that one didn’t get.

“Which is why I’m taking the time to properly think out the system to look at the experiences that we have had and to use what has worked in the past and what we can integrate with technology to put in place a system that will properly identify the needy beneficiary and not the greedy person…We will ensure that this relief is non-partisan and transparent,” he said.

Holness said that given the demands and the needs of those impacted, all 63 constituencies will be provided with an additional allocation of $4 million to assist in the recovery effort. This will go towards emergency shelter and roofing. The Government had provided an initial allocation of $5 million for welfare activities, such as food distribution and other relief.

“There are some conditions as with the first [allocation]. You must complete the expenditure of the first allocation. Remember we are in a tight funding situation; we can’t have allocations not used. The completion means that all the documentation that is required for the audit trail is submitted. Once that is done then the second allocation of $4 million per constituency will be made,” he said.

He said that while a flat allocation will be given to all MPs, an additional $3 million will be provided to constituencies where there is an assessment that the damage is higher.

“So those MPS will be contacted. It is a transparent process. So it is the assessment of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), it’s the assessment of the utilities, it’s the assessment of the public infrastructure, and so forth. So you will be informed if you are categorised as a constituency that is severely impacted,” he said, stressing that the distribution of relief must be done by all members of parliament in a non-partisan way, adding that “there is no colour or affiliation in a disaster”.

According to the prime minister, while the rapid assessment is being undertaken, support will be provided to certain communities where virtually the entire housing stock has been destroyed. He said he has instructed the chief of defence staff to mobilise the Disaster Assistance and Recovery Team, and other supporting units, including the engineers to cover areas such as Rocky Point, Portland Cottage on the south coast of Jamaica — where the damage is greatest — to assist with the rebuilding and recovery.

“They will also be deployed to assist with the recovery in Hanover, particularly in the town of Negril and other areas coming around to Westmoreland. The deployment in southeast Clarendon will also spill over into areas of Manchester and St Elizabeth.

“The initiative aims to not just rebuild, but to rebuild stronger and more resilient homes that can withstand future storms. Our efforts will focus on durability and sustainability. We do not want to merely put up makeshift structures or patch up roofs in a way that leaves them vulnerable to the next storm,” Holness added.

He said that while immediate efforts are focused on providing shelter and relief supplies, sustainable recovery is only possible with the restoration of economic livelihoods, pointing out that farming and fishing are the main industries in the most affected parishes.