The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) are to receive a share of $1.4 billion in hurricane-recovery donations to replenish emergency building supplies, largely exhausted during post–Hurricane Melissa repairs.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness announced the move during a Labour Day visit to Lewis Town Early Childhood Institution in Brompton, St Elizabeth. He said stocks of donated construction materials, used to repair homes in hurricane-hit communities, have been nearly depleted.

“We are going to restock the JDF and ODPEM with building materials, we have the funds to do it now, so that you [the JDF and ODPEM] can go on to do another 500 roofs,” he said.