Dear Editor,

When Hurricane Melissa tore across Jamaica it didn’t discriminate. From Westmoreland to St Elizabeth, St James to Hanover, Manchester to St Ann and Trelawny, the storm flattened homes, washed away roads, and left entire communities isolated.

But, in the aftermath, the Government’s response, in my opinion, has been anything but equal. The prime minister and senior ministers quickly descended on St Elizabeth — the official “ground zero”. Yet other parishes that suffered catastrophic damage have received little of the same attention, resources, or urgency. For many residents it feels like a replay of a familiar pattern: those outside the spotlight wait the longest to recover.

Before the storm, the Government assured Jamaicans of preparedness, citing a “systematic approach” and multi-layered recovery plans. But preparedness means more than briefings and hashtags. It means power restoration teams ready to move, supplies pre-positioned in flood-prone areas, and rapid assessments across all parishes. When entire regions remained unreachable for days after landfall, something clearly went wrong.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica’s south coast as a Category 5 storm — the strongest ever recorded to strike the island — bringing winds near 185 mph and storm surges up to 13 feet.

While parts of St Elizabeth were left underwater, neighbouring parishes — like Westmoreland, Hanover, and St James — were also battered by intense flooding and landslides. Yet most of the Government’s relief narrative seems to begin and end with St Elizabeth.

The Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’s announcement — just one day after the hurricane — that a “new city” would be built in St Elizabeth added insult to injury. It’s hard to hear about new cities when other communities are still waiting for food, shelter, and basic communication. The optics were tone-deaf at best, dismissive at worst. Jamaica needs equitable recovery, not selective reconstruction.

If this Government truly intends to build resilience, it must:

• Conduct transparent, parish-by-parish damage assessments and publish relief allocations.

• Prioritise recovery based on need, not media visibility.

• Empower communities to shape rebuilding priorities.

• Establish independent oversight to ensure fairness.

Disasters reveal the characters of people and governments. Jamaica’s recovery cannot be a photo opportunity for one parish while others are left in the dark. Equality in response is not optional, it is the measure of leadership.

Rochelle W

annadene88@gmail.com