Hello, my name is Faye and I live in London.
It has been one month since I first asked my local church, St John's Waterloo, for their prayers for the countries of the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Melissa. To date, at least 45 people have died in Jamaica, my country of birth. The hurricane caused nearly $9 billion in damage, making it the costliest ever storm Jamaica has known . Here’s a NASA article which demonstrates the shocking extent of the damage.
I thank God that my family members are safe. But the home where we grew up, and where some of the family still live, has been destroyed, including the bedrooms, furniture, photographs, and other items of sentimental value. Even our local stone church St Michael and all Angels Kew Park dating from the 1890s was blown down, such was the ferocity of the storm.
Public donations, though immensely helpful, barely scratch the surface of what is needed for long-term recovery and reconstruction. The Jamaican government is overwhelmed, and aid is slow to get where it needs to be. In the meantime, survivors have multiple crises to deal with - where to sleep, what to eat, and how to cope with trauma, physical illness and anxiety. Many are still unable to work as their workplaces are too badly damaged, or roads are still not fully opened. In too many areas electricity, phone reception, and clean water will not be fully restored until February at the earliest and even getting hold of staple foodstuffs has become one of many day-to-day challenges.
According to a recent study by World Weather Attribution, a group of scientists, hurricanes of Melissa’s severity are made six times more likely by climate change, the dominant cause of which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found to be fossil fuels. What happened in Jamaica was not simply an act of God. Climate change made this disaster far worse, though those most affected have contributed least to its causes.
I hope to visit in the new year to help my family recover but in the meantime, I would like to ask for your help to lessen their burden before Christmas. I aim to raise £2,000 which will help my family with replace missing roofs, other basic repairs, healthcare, and day to day living.
Thank you very much for your help and God Bless!