KINGSTON, Jamaica – Generation 2000 (G2K) says concerns raised about the conditions of schools must be viewed within the wider context of Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa and reinforces the need for the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) and a more efficient procurement system.

G2K President Sashana-Lee Edwards, in a press release on Thursday, said legitimate concerns about the condition of schools should be addressed but noted that the scale of the recovery Jamaica has undertaken in less than a year must also be recognised.

“Less than a year ago, Jamaica was struck by Hurricane Melissa, the first Category 5 hurricane to make a direct hit on our country in recorded history. The hurricane caused catastrophic damage to homes, schools, roads, electricity infrastructure, businesses and communities, particularly across western Jamaica. That context matters when we assess where the country is today,” Edwards said.

Edwards said the experience demonstrates why emergency reconstruction cannot be managed entirely through systems designed for normal circumstances.

“A damaged school cannot wait indefinitely for repairs. A community cannot wait years for a bridge. Accountability must never be abandoned, but accountability and urgency are not mutually exclusive,” Edwards said.

She said this is precisely why NaRRA is needed and there is an urgency for procurement reform.

“NaRRA provides the institutional capacity to coordinate reconstruction and move projects from approval to implementation more efficiently. Likewise, procurement must recognise that rebuilding after a Category 5 hurricane cannot be treated as business as usual. We need speed, transparency, accountability and value for money,” she said.

Edwards said international experience also demonstrates that reconstruction following a catastrophe of this magnitude is measured in years, not months.

“When we look at the international experience, including New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, it becomes clear how enormous the task of rebuilding after a catastrophic hurricane really is. Recovery is not instantaneous. It involves restoring utilities, reopening schools, rebuilding homes, repairing roads, supporting businesses and then making the long-term investments necessary to ensure that the same infrastructure is more resilient when the next disaster comes,” Edwards said.

“By any reasonable measure, Jamaica has made significant progress in a remarkably short period. That does not mean every problem has been solved. It does not mean that every school, road or community is where we want it to be. It means we should assess the recovery fairly, acknowledge shortcomings where they exist and recognise the tremendous amount of work that has already been accomplished,” she added.

Edwards said Jamaica must now use the lessons of Melissa to modernise the way the State responds to emergencies and delivers infrastructure.

“We cannot demand faster recovery after disasters and then oppose every attempt to reform the systems that determine how quickly the Government can act. Melissa exposed vulnerabilities in our infrastructure, but it also demonstrated why the machinery of government must become faster and more responsive. The objective cannot simply be to replace what Melissa destroyed. We must build forward better, with stronger schools, more resilient roads and bridges, improved utilities and communities better prepared for the next major climate event,” she said.

Edwards concluded that NaRRA and procurement reform should therefore be judged by their ability to deliver results while protecting public resources.

“This is about whether the next school can be repaired faster, whether the next road can be reopened sooner and whether Jamaica can recover more quickly after the disaster. Less than a year after Melissa, significant progress has been made. By any reasonable measure, this administration has done well in moving Jamaica from emergency response into recovery and reconstruction, even as there remains much more work to be done,” Edwards said.