Information Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon has described the recovery of bodies from storm-hit communities as one of the most painful chapters of the Hurricane Melissa response, revealing that some victims remain trapped in marooned areas only reachable by helicopter.

Speaking at Monday’s post-hurricane media briefing, the minister said the process has taken a severe emotional toll on both responders and affected families as the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) continue efforts to retrieve bodies scattered across isolated districts in western parishes.

“It is a health and safety question, but it’s also a deeply emotional and psychological thing to know that their body is just lying there. Just thinking about it is really, really painful,” she said.

She confirmed that the death toll has risen to 32, with eight additional cases still under investigation as police seek to determine whether those fatalities were storm-related or caused by other circumstances.

She further explained that in several cases, the recovery process has been delayed by impassable roads and washed-out bridges. The military has had to rely heavily on aerial missions to reach cut-off areas, with helicopters used to transport both the deceased and emergency supplies.

“As soon as we get the indication that there are bodies, the JCF and the JDF will coordinate. Obviously, the JCF will do some quick analysis to find out was this really as a part of the hurricane, or was this some other nefarious activity that took place,” she said.

The operations, she admitted, are not without logistical hurdles. In many of the worst-hit parishes, even helicopter missions have been challenging due to unstable terrain and the lack of safe landing areas.

“We have to find somewhere to land. First, we need to know about it and then we need to find somewhere to land the helicopter so that we can retrieve the bodies and a lot of the ones you would have heard that we have announced, those painful numbers were actually retrieved by the JDF using helicopters,” she said.

Morris Dixon also emphasised the importance of timely reporting from local representatives, noting that the success of recovery operations depends heavily on accurate information reaching central command. She said councillors, members of parliament and social workers have been instrumental in identifying marooned communities, which enables the JDF to prioritise rescue and aid missions.

“Right now we’ve been using the social workers in the network and remember that each parish has a disaster committee that is chaired by the mayor. Every single parish has that, and so there’s a mechanism through which the reports are coming in,” she said.

The minister appealed for continued cooperation, urging community leaders to maintain constant communication with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, which, she said, is coordinating daily with the JDF.

Her comments came moments after Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr disclosed that at least 25 communities remain marooned, with hundreds of families displaced and “several who have lost everything”.

He explained that the Government’s relief effort has evolved into a large-scale logistical operation involving multiple agencies and international partners, including Food For the Poor and World Food Programme. He also noted that the ministry, which leads the Humanitarian Assistance Committee, has been working closely with the JDF to deliver essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and shelter materials to the hardest-hit areas.

“We’re utilising our Bell 429 helicopters. We’re also using the Chinook helicopters brought in and Black Hawk helicopters brought in by our partners in the US and those are assisting us to provide a lifeline to the several Jamaicans that remain stranded,” he said.

Charles noted that soldiers have been conducting simultaneous air and ground missions, ensuring that where aircraft cannot land, troops trek into isolated communities to distribute aid.

The minister revealed that more than 40,000 relief packages have already been prepared for distribution, part of a wider plan to sustain affected families over the coming weeks. He said the Government has also expanded storage capacity with six mobile units already in place and eight more expected, courtesy of the World Food Programme.

“So I say that to say that it’s not just quick response. We do have rapid response, but it’s not just quick response. It’s strategy towards long-term recovery. I just want to indicate that one of the issues that cause and still will impact the delivery of packages is access and so it’s actually why you might have seen, I wouldn’t say focus, but perhaps presence in some areas more than others,” he explained.

Despite these hurdles, Charles maintained that relief efforts have reached every parish since the hurricane’s passage.

“Our social workers, JDF soldiers and partners were out in every parish immediately after, even in parishes where there was no connectivity and therefore you weren’t hearing as much or seeing as much,” he said.