Tonight, Belize's private sector is coming mightily to the aid of Jamaicans whose lives were overturned by the wrath of hurricane Melissa. So far, 32 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the storm, and the cost of the damages could go as high as 7 billion US dollars.
Aid is rushing in from all over the region and the world, and thanks to a private sector initiative out of the west, Belize is coming through with containers of relief supplies. The initiative began with a trade linkage to Jamaica weeks before the hurricane, and now these donors are using it to fast track relief supplies to the island.
We found out more today in Spanish Lookout. Jomarie Lanza and Eliu Yacab report:
It's the first private sector led Hurricane Melissa relief effort being organized on a large scale here in Belize. And it was all made possible by a fortuitous trade linkage which started just a few weeks ago - before the storm -by the Cayo-based Caribbean Sugar Refinery.
Gilbert Canton received a phenomenal response: with just 6 calls they managed to fill an entire container:
Gilbert Canton, Caribbean Sugar Refiner
"About 3 weeks ago the Caribbean Sugar Refinery team was in Jamaica establishing warehousing and logistics supplies to ship refined sugar from Belize to Jamaica as we will be refining sugar with a new refinery starting April and May of next year. So as we were sitting and watching this storm hit Jamaica last week Wednesday we got together on a phone call and said we need to do something, we just established this logistics supply chain and we need to do something so let's just sponsor our container and see if we can fill it. And I started making phone calls and I made about 6 phone calls. The 6th one was to these gentlemen over here and the other 5 were to various donors from Belize city and from across Belize and the response was just phenomenal I'm sure we will talk about that later with all the donors but that is how it got started we just said let's sponsor a container and see what happens."
Within days, their container filled with 25,000 meals, 9,000 liters of water, a significant supply of sanitary items and enough bedding for 34 people. The mostly made in Belize products will go directly to those most in need in Jamaica
Ray Dueck, Organizers, Jamaica Relief Effort
"So there is a ministry in Jamaica called Jamaican relief ministries and they are working with helping children in Jamaica. So when the storm passed we contacted them and asked them if there is something we can do for them so they were delighted that Belize was so close logistically it takes roughly 2 days for a container to reach from here to there so we are sending the stuff to them and we are planning to go there as well to assist in distributing and assisting the people of Jamaica to get their roofs back on their houses."
The overwhelming response for this effort has been pushed primarily by the Churches of Spanish Lookout:
Stephen Hochstetler, Organizers, Jamaica Relief Effort
"So there are various churches in Spanish Lookout, many of which have donated to this. It has been a joint effort between several churches here in Spanish Lookout to fill this container and as we seek to fill another one it is still a joint effort as we work together to help those that are suffering in Jamaica."
Gilbert Canton, Organizers, Jamaica Relief Effort
"Again there was this solidarity to do something over there so what we were able to do was set up a system that has trusted folks here in Belize all the donors we know them and trust them and then we have all the folks that we are working with in Jamaica, Jamaican relief ministry, Mr Gilroy Graham who everybody knows from grace Kennedy Belize and so we created a trusted network and system that I feel people feel comfortable donating to and I think that has helped to build the momentum to get this going. We will do it again, there is going to be if not one more container, two more containers that will go and there will be opportunities for other companies to donate and give to the effort."
Donations were made by the companies you see here as well as National Aggregates. Efforts are underway for a second container, which will be focused on roofing material, clothing and bedding. They have until the 28TH of November to send duty free supplies to Jamaica.
