Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
IT WILL take $55 million to ready the abandoned Jamaica Defence Force army barracks to house the Haitian refugees, a cost that will be covered by the Jamaican government, the United Nations refugee agency and local private sector companies.
The 134 Haitian refugees, who drifted into Portland on boats as they fled political upheaval in their country, will be transferred to the Montpelier barracks in another two weeks.
Dean Peart, Minister of Land and Environment, toured the facility Thursday on which repairs are scheduled for completion by next Friday.
The project is being co-ordinated by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (OPDEM).
The refugees are now being housed in Portland, but the facilities there have been deemed inadequate for the numbers of Haitians who have been arriving since February.
The Haitians were expected to move to Montpelier this week, but renovation work has been slow. Minister Peart, however, promised that construction would be speeded up by Monday.
"We estimate that the entire process will take us a little bit longer and we hope to move the Haitians, not next week, but the following week," he emphasised.
In addition to assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Peart said at least nine companies have volunteered their services.
Tankweld Limited will be providing the roofing material and a four-burner industrial stove; PETCOM has promised a 1,000-gallon gas tank and connections for the stove; and the Port Authority of Jamaica is to donate four storage containers.
Other assistance is being provided by Gore Developers, West Indies Home Contractors, Western Engineers, New Era Fencing, and the charity Food for the Poor, among others.
