BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris has provided reason for the Government’s perceived delay in contributing to the Haiti relief effort.
Dr. Harris updated the nation on several matters yesterday (Oct. 26) at his monthly press conference and, in response to a question posed by SKNVibes, explained that through regional networks the local Foreign Affairs Ministry has been in touch with the appropriate agencies in hurricane-ravaged Haiti.
“In relation to Haiti, this Government will always be responsive to members of the CARICOM community in particular in their moments of distress and certainly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in touch with the relevant agencies in Haiti through CARICOM, through the regional networks to attempt to determine how we could coordinate response with other countries of the region in relation to that matter.”
He said the Government is awaiting response from the Haitian Government to indicate what it needs before an official response could be made.
“You would have been aware that the hurricanes would have created some greater destabilization of the government sector in Haiti and the Government really deals government to government, so we have to wait for clear and explicit communication from the Government prioritizing their need. As we did in relation to Dominica, we will respond. But it is always a government to government response.
“I am sure if you were to look across the region very few Governments have responded and in part because we are still awaiting the relevant information and request from the official channels of the Government.”
Only late last week two 40-foot containers were packed with building materials, clothing, food items and toiletries as part of the private sector response to the situation in Haiti.
On October 4, Haiti was hit by Category Four Hurricane Matthew which left hundreds dead, collapsed houses and mass flooding.
The containers were to have left St. Kitts this week bound for Haiti.
