BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH more than 1,000 left dead and more than one million others needing assistance in Haiti following the passage of Hurricane Matthew, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC) is continuing its Haiti Relief programme with plans to make a shipment within the next few days.
A portion of the island was pounded by Hurricane Matthew – which then was a Category Four major storm – and many inches of rain were dumped there on October 4, 2016.
This has resulted in widespread flooding, total destruction of buildings and homes, etc.
The CIC, SKNVibes understands, began an assistance drive where it has been collecting items to ship to Haiti.
SKNVibes also understands that items collected include canned goods, clothing, toiletries and money. However, Consultant working on the relief effort, Ray John, explained that there is need for material with which to construct houses.
“We have been trying to secure the galvanize company because they need more building material than anything else. A lot of water is coming in from Miami, a lot of stuff coming in from Miami and so we don’t really want to get into the water business. We are trying to encourage people if you have money and wish to donate cash we can put it towards the galvanize.”
John said the entire island was not ravaged by the storm and that there is a particular community which the Chamber – and its partners – are concentrating on.
“There are Haitians in Nevis and in St. Kitts. We have been in contact with both and so we have had a sort of first-hand situation as to what happened in that part of Haiti. It is not the whole of Haiti that’s devastated but that peninsular area of Haiti has been severely hit, which is the area we are trying to concentrate on in terms of the relief supplies. And contacts have been made in that area.
“We know of a community of about 3,000 people who are actually homeless and need building material and we know of a contact in that area who is a pastor with a big church which might be able to help putting up some sort of temporary shelters for the situation, and so we are working on that at the moment.”
This publication understands that the CIC wishes to make a shipment to Haiti sometime over the weekend or earlier in the new week. And as such, those desirous of making donations are asked to please do so before 4:00 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 12).
The supplies should be taken to Island Hopper at the C. A. Paul Southwell Industrial Park.
