Guadeloupe Chinese group donates $12m in relief supplies to St James

WESTERN BUREAU

The Chinese business community in Guadeloupe has donated hurricane-relief supplies valued at US$80,000 ($12.5 million) to the St James Municipal Corporation in a show of support for vulnerable residents affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The supplies – including grocery items, bottled water, and diapers – were handed over during a brief ceremony in Montego Bay earlier this week.

Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon, mayor of Montego Bay and chairman of the municipal corporation, thanked Chinese communities both locally and abroad for facilitating the donation.

“On behalf of the St James Municipal Corporation, we want to thank the Chinese community here in Montego Bay and their partnership with the Chinese community in Guadeloupe, who has donated some relief supplies to the Chinese community in Montego Bay so that they could donate it to us,” said Vernon.

He said the items would be distributed through the corporation’s social-support network to ensure that they reach those most in need.

“We will be working closely with our Poor Relief Department to ensure that the relief supplies go to the persons who are really in need. We have a registered list of outdoor poor, and we have some vulnerable mothers. If you note, we are getting some diapers, and this goes a far way in helping them.”

Vernon added that many residents remained in need months after the storm that struck Jamaica last October.

“Yesterday, I met with some young ladies, and they, too, are in need of this type of assistance.”

Meanwhile, Yangsen Li, vice-president of the Fujian Association of Jamaica, a local Chinese organisation, explained that the shipment had been in transit for several months before finally being cleared at the wharf in Kingston.

LONG CLEARANCE PROCESS

“I know it’s here from last year, but because the container takes a long time to clear at the wharf, we spend two months there, and finally, we got the stuff here today so that we can have this stuff to hand over to our local community,” said Li.

In accepting the donation, Vernon acknowledged logistical delays that affected the arrival of some post-storm shipments.

“I know that we have had some logistical challenges with the level of supply coming into the country coming out of Hurricane Melissa. Persons are trying to and still are trying to assist, and, therefore, we have a backlog at the wharf in Kingston, and as a result, some of the relief supplies are coming in late.”

Despite the delays, he said the corporation remained grateful for the continued support.

“We are grateful for the assistance, and we thank all those who are reaching out as we push through this recovery and reconstruction phase coming out of Hurricane Melissa.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com