Flood rains in south-central Jamaica last month left nine people dead and caused billions of dollars in damage. Five parishes have been declared disaster areas by Jamaica’s Prime Minister, communities are still marooned, and many people remain in shelters because their houses are submerged.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency, West Indies, has been working with Jamaica Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, and other government agencies to ensure that the affected areas receive help.

St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica’s “food basket,” was seriously affected by the loss of its crops which serve the local area, as well as the entire nation. “We have never seen it like this,” said a man who has lived in the area for 80 years. Some places are still flooded so badly that airlifting emergency supplies is still the only means of delivering relief.

Germany has given a huge boost to the relief effort, donating 1.35 million Jamaican dollars (30,000 Euro dollars) through its embassy in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. In accepting the gift, ADRA director for the West Indies, Claude Brown, expressed gratitude on behalf of those who will benefit, and he restated ADRA’s commitment to providing relief to all. ADRA will provide food, bedding, and roofing material in the short term.