The Dark Side of Paradise: Loss and Damage in Jamaica’s Agricultural Belt

Rosemary White, a 56-year-old farmer, sits on a plastic chair amid the remains of her home, her eyes filled with despair at having lost everything she had built over the past three decades. “It was a devastating time in my life, I’ve lost everything. It’s a disaster,” she laments, surrounded by water-soaked mattresses, clothes, broken furniture and shattered dreams.

Rosemary and her family are small farmers who made their living primarily by raising poultry, pigs and goats. This livelihood was abruptly cut short when Hurricane Beryl swept through the island on July 3. She now lives with her sister, daughter, son and granddaughter, relying solely on family support. “I don’t know what to do now, I really want to come back here but I need help to repair my house and my chicken coop,” she says, looking out at her broken roof and the rain pouring down on what little remains of her house.

The impact of Hurricane Beryl

Category 4 Hurricane Beryl made landfall on July 3, leaving a trail of destruction in Jamaica’s agricultural heartland. It caused an estimated $6.5 billion in damage and affected some 45,000 farmers in the southern parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and Saint Elizabeth.

Beryl unleashed its fury on farms, decimating staple crops such as bananas, yams, cassava, breadfruit, aki, mangos and plantains. The fishing and livestock industries also suffered significant losses. Compounding the problems in southern Jamaica, power service remains disrupted, with some lines still in need of repair.

Nakaya, a 44-year-old farmer, recalls the terrifying moments when the hurricane swept through his village. “When it got really strong, I put my mother under the bed. I shuddered a little when the roof was torn off and all I saw was water and the sky,” he says. Nakaya lost his livelihood, including the 100 chickens that supported his 67-year-old mother, who is suffering from Parkinson’s. Now, with only the walls of his house standing, he is determined to rebuild and seek help.

Reconstruction and recovery efforts

According to estimates by the Government of Jamaica, Hurricane Beryl damaged 8,700 homes. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Jamaica has announced cash rehabilitation grants for people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed, as well as for 500 micro-business operators whose livelihoods have been lost. The Government has also stated its intention to prioritize the reconstruction and restoration of schools and hospitals.

The UN, through its emergency arm, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHAhas pledged $4 million in Emergency Recovery funds to support the activities of the Government of Jamaica.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is part of a broader UN effort to help Jamaicans recover from Beryl and build resilience to future storms.

“IOM is committed to supporting the hardest hit communities in Jamaica, which have been severely affected by the hurricane. Our field teams are actively working to assess the damage with the aim of repairing their roofs and restoring their normal way of life,” said Natasha Greaves, Acting Head of Office of IOM in Jamaica.

IOM’s efforts will assist 1,500 households in the hardest hit areas of Jamaica with roof replacement and repair, along with window and door replacement and repair, plumbing, and rewiring of electrical systems. These initiatives are crucial for families like Rosemary’s, who are eager to return to their homes and reestablish their livelihoods.

As Jamaica grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the resilience and determination of its farming community shines through. But the looming threat of climate change adds a layer of uncertainty to their future. “We don’t have any trees anymore, so climate change is already affecting us,” Rosemary says, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable solutions to mitigate the impact of future storms.