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Jamaica, Haiti report heavy losses from Hurricane Sandy
Jamaica’s prime minister said she is determined to fast-track legislation to revise building codes to prevent people from constructing houses in unsafe areas.
Jamaica’s recovery from Sandy comes as the country is trying to forge a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). So far, Jamaica has had pledges of support for storm recovery from Germany, Japan, France, Trinidad & Tobago and the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to the prime minister.
“Even before the hurricane we faced serious economic challenges. This has been made worse by the passage of Hurricane Sandy,” Simpson-Miller said.
In Cuba, Sandy was the deadliest storm in seven years, killing 11 people and ripping rooftops from homes and toppling power lines. Much of the damage was in Santiago, the second-largest city. President Raul Castro, who toured hard-hit areas on Sunday, has warned of a long road to recovery.
Sandy also slammed the Bahamas, where two people were killed and numerous homes in Grand Bahama, Cat Island and Exuma were flooded by surge waters.
