MAY PEN, (JIS): Thursday, July 28, 2005 - The Government has distributed a sum of $51 million to 10,200 persons in Clarendon who were affected by Hurricane Ivan, which devastated the island in September last year.
Delroy Palmer, Parish Manager for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security told JIS News that this was the final payment to persons in the parish.
"Starting Monday (July 25), we distributed some 10,200 cheques to persons affected by Hurricane Ivan in the minor damage category. Each cheque has a value of $5,000 and this is supposed to be the final payment for assistance to persons affected by Hurricane Ivan in Clarendon," Mr. Palmer pointed out.
He noted that some $102 million has already been spent to assist persons who experienced total or major damage, adding that this brought the total amount spent for assistance in Clarendon to $153 million. Some 20,785 persons in the parish have benefited.
Meanwhile, Mr. Palmer said that the assessments for Hurricanes Emily and Dennis have now been completed, with some 190 households being assessed for Dennis and 142 households for Emily. These families, he noted, suffered damage mainly to household items, such as bedding, furniture, appliances and clothing.
"Even though Hurricane Emily produced more rain for Clarendon than Hurricane Dennis, we observed less damage because persons responded quickly to the call for evacuation and we hope for the sensitization process to continue, so that the extent of damage in the event of various disasters will be minimized," he said.