In brief
Five days post-Hurricane Melissa, communities in western Jamaica are left struggling with blocked roads, limited access to food, and overwhelming destruction. The death toll has risen sharply as aid lags, with locals voicing frustration over delayed responses from relief efforts. Prime Minister Holness emphasizes the need for immediate action to restore essential services.
Five days after Hurricane Melissa pummelled into western Jamaica with record force, residents in devastated communities along the coast are still desperately waiting for help.
Many of the roads are blocked by debris and people are isolated with little food, no power or running water, and no idea of when normalcy will return.
The government said on Saturday that at least 28 people in Jamaica have died since the hurricane hit as a monster category five storm with 185 mph (297km/h) sustained winds.
That is a near 50% jump in the death toll overnight, and the number could rise as officials clear their way into new parts of the island in the coming days.
Local official Dr Dayton Campbell told the BBC 10 of those deaths were in Westmoreland.
Westmoreland parish is believed to have the second highest number of unconfirmed deaths, after St Elizabeth to the southeast. The eye of the storm hit somewhere between the two neighbouring parishes. At St Elizabeth, an estimated 90% of homes have been destroyed.
A long stretch of road headed west into Westmoreland Parish winds through a graveyard of trees – stacks of branches and limbs, cracked and twisted, blanketing the landscape for miles. It is grim evidence of Hurricane Melissa's ferocity - it was the strongest storm to strike the Caribbean island in modern history.
Piles of debris are heaped on the parish's roadsides, next to battered buildings, shipping crates turned on their side and crowds of people wading through the destruction.
Families in Whitehouse and surrounding areas express rising frustration over aid delivery promises that have yet to materialize, with many reporting hunger and homelessness.
Aid efforts are underway, but are hindered by the extensive damage and lack of access. The Prime Minister has promised to address essential needs, but residents say immediate action is crucial.
As foreign aid begins to arrive from various countries, locals continue to demonstrate resilience, holding on to hope amidst overwhelming challenges.
