Jamaica a Hub for Caribbean Community’s Relief Efforts for Haiti

Jamaica has been designated the hub through which the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom) relief efforts will be funneled. The decision was reached at a meeting of Caricom representatives in Jamaica late last week, hosted by Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

Caricom’s primary focus will be on providing medicine and medical personnel for Haiti, according to Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s minister of information and special projects. Following the meeting in Jamaica, Caricom officials went to Haiti to assess damage and to be briefed by Haitian officials.

“We are establishing a Caricom military contingent with skills in medical operations and engineering to work on establishing temporary medical facilities and housing,” Vaz said.

Jamaica’s Ministry of Health is providing medical attention in Jamaica for U.N. peacekeeping force members who were critically injured in the earthquake.