Taxpayers providing insurance for disaster victims

“CLIMATE CHANGE also means that Jamaicans need to be more proactive in insuring against climate-related natural disasters,” stated Chris Hind, general manager of JN General Insurance Company.

“A major part of the population has no effective insurance coverage in the event of natural disasters,” Hind said. He revealed that a significant element in property insurance is related to mortgage loans, and once the loan is paid, the mortgagor fails to see the value of maintaining insurance coverage.

Without the buffer of an insurer to take on the cost of potential loss, persons and organisations have the ultimate responsibility for their loss. Hind affirmed that “effectively, it is the taxpayers of Jamaica who are providing insurance for many of those affected by such disasters”.

Another source of support for some in such disasters consists of international agencies, friends, and relatives overseas who are willing to be of assistance. And, over the years, selected international agencies and Jamaicans in the diaspora have responded positively to the aftermath of hurricane destruction by individually assisting relatives, friends, and social institutions.

Lyew Ayee said that all resources and groups need to be engaged as “in the ‘new normal’ of increased frequency of climatic disasters, the old response of doing nothing to address the challenges prior to disasters

will not serve us well”.

inherently individually driven, and people should not have to be told what to do and have Government deal with the problem later.”