Category News

The slow-moving and erratic storm centered on Friday about 150 miles (245 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 270 miles (430 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

According to the United States National Hurricane Center in Miami, it was moving north at 3 mph (6 km/h) and had sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h).

As it strengthens into a major hurricane by the weekend and possibly reaches Category 4 status by Tuesday, it was anticipated to drop significant rain on Jamaica and Haiti’s southern regions through the weekend.

The ground is already saturated as a result of recent heavy rains unrelated to the storm, according to forecasters in Jamaica’s eastern region, which could result in flooding and landslides.

According to the Civil Protection Agency, Melissa was credited with killing an elderly man in Marigot, southern Haiti, while five other people were hurt in the central Artibonite area by flooding.

In Haiti’s southern region, the UN announced on Thursday that it was putting together more than 100 emergency shelters. Previous storms have caused widespread erosion and little preparation in Haiti due to gang violence, poverty, and weak governance, which have devastated the country.

More than half a million customers were affected by the storm, which also affected dozens of Dominican Republic water supply systems. Additionally, it caused a number of small landslides, including one downing of trees and traffic lights.

Officials in 12 provinces on alert, according to officials, will close all public schools in the Dominican Republic on Friday, and government offices in 12 other provinces will follow.

The minister of economic growth and job creation, Matthew Samuda, in Jamaica, called the situation “serious” and cautioned people against being fooled by the storm’s current intensity and speed. He advised people to be very watchful because it could change without warning.

Melissa is the first named storm to form in the Caribbean this year and the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

13 to 18 named storms were predicted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which runs from June 1 through November 30.

In Istanbul’s cultural tapestry, porters who haul large sacks of white plastic on their backs or in handcarts carry a significant but frequently unnoticed load.

This trade, known as hamallk in Turkish, dates back to the Ottoman era and is still active today.

The Egyptian Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, and Eminonu district, where traditional hans (commercial buildings) house workshops that sell jewelry, textiles, and other goods, are where the practice flourishes.

Because many centuries-old hans are buried in narrow streets where vehicles cannot pass, these porters continue to be essential. Daytime traffic restrictions in Eminonu add to their significance.

Up to 440–660 pounds of merchandise can be transported using a semer, a traditional wooden and leather harness, using a porter on the fifth floor. These specialist harnesses frequently turn out to be family items that have been passed down from one generation to the next, illustrating the hereditary nature of the profession. (Porters are still primarily men’s jobs, with female ones being incredibly uncommon.)

The porters work within managed, organized divisions that ensure a fair wage distribution. Members’ daily wages are determined by their loads’ quantity and weight.

Only those who can handle the demanding work can enter because it requires remarkable physical strength and endurance. Porters carefully select new members and take a lot of pride in their work.

Omer Okan, 60, has been a porter for 30 years, regularly bringing more than 500 kg (1, 100 pounds) on his back every day.

Little security is provided by the occupation. Okan points out that the majority of porters are uninsured and only make money when they are injured or ill. As major wholesalers leave Eminonu, where he works, for a more productive job, there are less employment opportunities.

He claimed that we occasionally return home without making any money.

Although Okan occasionally feels undervalued by the society that depends on his service, he inherited the profession from his grandfather and takes pride in his work.