NaRRA opens Hurricane Melissa recovery talks in Black River and Parottee

Recovery work is under way in communities hit by Hurricane Melissa, as the National Reconstruction, Recovery and Resilience Agency (NaRRA) opens consultations with residents in Southwest St. Elizabeth.

NaRRA CEO Ambassador Anthony Anderson and Member of Parliament for Southwest St. Elizabeth Floyd Green met residents of Black River and Parottee to hear their concerns and their hopes for rebuilding. Officials described the talks as the opening stage of shaping the recovery process.

Residents set out their priorities for reconstruction. Some said they want to relocate, while others said they intend to stay in their communities and protect the livelihoods they have already built.

Speaking at the end of the tour of Black River and Parottee, Ambassador Anderson said it was important for him to see the areas and to hear directly from residents about what had happened and about their ideas for reconstruction and resilience.

"We're here in Black River at the end of our tour of Black River and also Parottee. It was important for me to come down here to see and also to hear from the people of Parottee and the people of Black River as to what they think about what has happened and also just to listen to their ideas about reconstruction and resilience. NARA's promise is to build back better, stronger, more resilient. And so it was a really good visit," Anderson said.

He added that the engagement was only the first meeting and that more sessions would follow, including formal town halls.

MP Floyd Green said the government was acting with urgency to secure the best outcomes for people in Southwest St. Elizabeth, and that reconstruction was being driven from the ground up.

"The government has always committed that they would take a bottom-up approach to the reconstruction journey and that is exactly what we're doing. And of course, the citizens came out, they shared, they engaged, they told us what they saw as solutions. You would have heard from some people who are looking forward to relocating, some people who have already reestablished and that is a part of the process. This is just the start of the process, not the end of the process. But one thing that we're sure that we would move with speed to ensure that the best decisions are made for the people of Southwest St. Elizabeth," Green said.

He thanked the NaRRA team and Minna Jallow, and said further engagements were expected as communities work to rebuild stronger and better than before.