A US$80,000 shipment of relief supplies sent from the Jamaican community in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, to assist people affected by the May and June flood rains, has been sitting on the docks in Kingston since July.
According to Vin Martin, Jamaica's Honorary Consul to Atlanta, who organised the shipment, the container with the supplies arrived in Jamaica on July 12, but the Jamaica Customs Department has been holding the goods because an itemised list of the merchandise was not provided.
The Jamaica Red Cross, to which Mr. Martin said the goods were sent, was not reached for comment yesterday.
Velma Ricketts, spokesperson for the Customs Department, said the matter would be investigated to determine why that particular shipment had not been cleared as the Red Cross had cleared several shipments up to recently.
Yesterday, Mr. Martin told The Gleaner by phone from the USA that he was concerned that much of the food items might be spoilt and other personal effects decayed over the more than two months since the container has been sitting on the docks.
He said that following three weeks of flood rains which ravaged Jamaica in May and June, an appeal was sent to the Jamaican community abroad to assist those affected.
"We in Atlanta got together a trailerload of supplies, based on a list provided by the Jamaica Red Cross about the things that would be required," he said.
The shipment, which included 38 large barrels containing food, a bed and a bicycle, among other items, arrived in Jamaica on July 12 to be picked up by the Red Cross.
However, "the shipment is still sitting on the wharf," said Mr. Martin, noting that "this is a community-based effort to assist flood victims in Jamaica and we are concerned that the Customs Department could be so callous. Clearly, if there's any question as to the content, they can take a look at the contents and determine whether they want to release it or not."
He said the shipment was sent as household effects and were collected based on a list supplied by the Red Cross. Mr. Martin said he would try to get Dean Peart, Minister of State for Finance and Planning, to assist with the clearance.
Noting there were floods in Jamaica again last week, he asked, "How can I, with any conscience, go back to these people here and ask for help?" He said many of the donors, on learning of the plight of those Jamaicans who were flooded out, used their hard-earned cash to buy food, clothes and other items, which formed part of the shipment.
"I would be embarrassed to go back to them and say to them that we are again asking for assistance," Mr. Martin said. While he was not saying they would not assist in future, he said that "every time this comes up it dampens our enthusiasm to do these things."
