Jamaican music superstar Sean Paul has said the scale of the effort required to help people in the country is overwhelming after Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of the island last week. The Grammy-winning reggae singer said the category five storm was very frightening, especially for my young kids.
That's the first time they've seen trees dance like that and the wind move like that, he told BBC News. They're in shock still, and traumatised. And can you imagine the children who are in the epicentre of it? It feels like you're in the Middle Ages. Winds of up to 185mph (295 km/h) caused at least 28 deaths. Paul and his family were in the capital Kingston, while areas further west suffered the greatest damage.
The singer continued: It's really difficult to bear. We weren't hit in Kingston very hard, but it was frightening. And you're wondering, at any minute now, is there going to be, you know, some tree that comes along and slaps your roof off? That happened to friends of mine in Montego Bay. They've lost their whole roof, and they're still in the trenches helping people there, making sure that food and clothes reach [people]. Everybody's stuff is all muddied up and it's hard to think about something positive at this time.
Paul has pledged $50,000 (£38,000) to match donations to Food For The Poor Jamaica, describing the devastation as a very mind-blowing situation. He noted the overwhelming nature of the disaster relief effort, sharing stories of families without basic necessities. Fellow artist Shaggy expressed similar sentiments, coordinating aid efforts and sharing the heart-wrenching realities he has witnessed during his visits to impacted areas.
Together, the two artists are working on a concert aimed at raising funds for long-term recovery efforts in Jamaica, emphasizing the importance of sustained help as the nation rebuilds.
That's the first time they've seen trees dance like that and the wind move like that, he told BBC News. They're in shock still, and traumatised. And can you imagine the children who are in the epicentre of it? It feels like you're in the Middle Ages. Winds of up to 185mph (295 km/h) caused at least 28 deaths. Paul and his family were in the capital Kingston, while areas further west suffered the greatest damage.
The singer continued: It's really difficult to bear. We weren't hit in Kingston very hard, but it was frightening. And you're wondering, at any minute now, is there going to be, you know, some tree that comes along and slaps your roof off? That happened to friends of mine in Montego Bay. They've lost their whole roof, and they're still in the trenches helping people there, making sure that food and clothes reach [people]. Everybody's stuff is all muddied up and it's hard to think about something positive at this time.
Paul has pledged $50,000 (£38,000) to match donations to Food For The Poor Jamaica, describing the devastation as a very mind-blowing situation. He noted the overwhelming nature of the disaster relief effort, sharing stories of families without basic necessities. Fellow artist Shaggy expressed similar sentiments, coordinating aid efforts and sharing the heart-wrenching realities he has witnessed during his visits to impacted areas.
Together, the two artists are working on a concert aimed at raising funds for long-term recovery efforts in Jamaica, emphasizing the importance of sustained help as the nation rebuilds.
