Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr says the number of homes affected by the passage of Hurricane Beryl has increased to over 13,500.

That is an estimated increase of 4,800 since Mr. Charles Jr gave the initial figure in Parliament on July 24.

Providing an update to IRIE FM News, Mr. Charles Jr says ongoing assessments reveal that the Ministry’s July 24 projections on damaged homes have grown.

He, noted, however, that the Government remains committed to helping citizens rebuild in a resilient manner.

Since August 5, the Ministry has been distributing cash grants valuing up to $400,000 to assist Jamaicans whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Beryl.