Commentary

This file photo shows a flock of Turkey Vultures (John Crows) at a section of the gully in Waterhouse.
December 9, 2025

Gordon Robinson | It’s cuckoo!

I’ve heard it said (and it’s true I’m sure) that, sometimes, we mus’ tek seruss t’ing mek joke. That must’ve been journalist Zahra Burton’s intent when, at one of Government’s post Melissa briefings,…
From left: Shericka Jackson, Marie-Josee Ta Lou, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Elaine Thompson-Herah compete in the 100m women’s finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
December 9, 2025

Editorial | Dodgy Olympics women’s 100m plan

World Athletics’ decision to schedule the three rounds of the women’s 100 metres race for the opening day of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is a coup for marketers. For, as Sebastian Coe, the president…
This October 2025 photo shows a portion of Belmont Academy in Westmoreland destroyed by Hurricane Melissa.
December 9, 2025

Ruthlyn James | The neurodevelopmental cost of Jamaica’s climate future

Jamaica is not simply surviving hurricanes; we are quietly growing a population shaped by them. We speak about damage and repair funds but those are surface wounds. The deeper injury is neurological,…
This November 2020 shows a sitting of the Senate in Gordon House
December 9, 2025

Lloyd Barnett | Retaining and reforming the Senate

Since the adoption of universal adult suffrage and a representative system of government in 1944, Jamaica has always had two legislative chambers. In 1944, there were established the elected House of…
IIn this November 2025 photo, Joel Wynter, who is suffering from sickle-cell disease, is being tended to by his mother under a makeshift shelter after their house was damaged by Hurricane Melissa.
December 9, 2025

Monika Asnani and Lesley King | Hurricane Melissa and sickle cell disease

Hurricane Melissa barrelled across Jamaica on October 28 leaving behind a trail of destruction unlike anything the island has ever experience, particularly in the southern and western regions of the…
Humanitarian aid sits on the tarmac at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
December 9, 2025

Ainsley Brown | Crucial role of logistics in Jamaica’s disaster recovery

Hurricane Melissa has underscored a timeless principle. Logistics is not simply about moving goods; it’s about enabling continuity, restoring order, and saving lives. This truth has never been…
Gleaner editorial writes: ... urgent mission must be to get the shattered region functional again, and that [policymakers] must attend to people’s livelihoods by getting money into their pockets, preferably through necessary productive work.
December 9, 2025

Editorial | Restore people’s incomes

Two weeks after Hurricane Melissa tore through western Jamaica, shattering public infrastructure, destroying private property and upending people’s lives, policymakers are still counting the losses…
A Grade 2 student of Shichigo Elementary School, Sendai, completes a form on disaster preparedness. On the desk is a poster of the route they take to get home. On the Stick-it notes are the suggestions given by students.
December 9, 2025

Editorial | Emulate international disaster risk-reduction best practices

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest storms to hit Jamaica, has exposed the vulnerabilities of the country’s disaster preparedness and planning. The storm uncovered gaps in planning, coordination…
Rising water levels in Content in Williamsfield, Manchester, which inundated homes and business establishments.
December 9, 2025

Simon Mitchell | Post-Hurricane Melissa flooding in Jamaica – an explanation

There is a lot of news speculation about rising flood waters in areas such as Content and New Market, where flood waters have begun rising since the passage of Hurricane Melissa across the island in…