Twelve-year old Clive Wright has a weight of concern on his small shoulders as he frets about rebuilding his roof after Hurricane Beryl delivered a battering on July 3 when it impacted Jamaica as a category 4 storm.
Clive and his mother are now in a shelter in Rocky Point, Clarendon without electricity and with more than 40 other people who have nowhere to go. Clive recounts how frightened he was during the Hurricane and how he kept thinking of the times he saw his mother try over and over to repair their roof, but it was just not enough. He doesn’t know if she will ever have enough money to complete the job and to make their home a safe place again.
In the meantime, Jeremy Lada, 15 tries to put on a brave face but he too is unsure of his future. His mother, Chadia Howell is on a cot nearby while his grandmother, Desrene and sister Rogeana, 10 are sharing experiences with the others in the shelter. Jeremy, his mom and sister all lived with his grandmother before the hurricane.
Their homes are now either full of mud or totally under water. Sheets of zinc can be seen wrapped around light posts like blankets or are strewn along the side of roads along with boards and household items soaked by Beryl.
The destruction is massive in this community and others that are on the south coast of the island which UNICEF visited on Saturday July 6 including the fishing villages of Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine, and Portland Cottage, Clarendon. Downed power lines and light posts which appear like broken pencils tell the tale of the gusty winds.
“UNICEF is concerned about the water, hygiene and sanitation situation of the children and their families who are severely affected, and we are here to have a first-hand view of the devastation and to understand their needs more clearly.”
- Olga Isaza, UNICEF Jamaica Country Representative
No child should have to worry the way Clive, Jeremy and Rogeana are in the aftermath of the hurricane. In addition to appealing for well needed resources to assist families and communities to rebuild, UNICEF is also concerned about the psychosocial impact on the children and is working with other UN Agencies to support the government in its response to the crisis. Food, water, building materials, hygiene kits and other supplies are desperately needed as families ponder their next move.
Clarendon Parrish located in the south of Jamaica.
