Relief Supplies Begin Arriving from US

The first of two airplanes with relief supplies worth more than US$24,000 from the United States arrived in the island yesterday (September 13), carrying eight zodiac boats, 200 hygienic kits, and 2,000 water containers.
Public Affairs Officer at the United States Embassy, Orna Blum told JIS News today that the boats were now with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), while the supplies had been submitted to the Jamaica Red Cross.
The boats will be used for search and rescue in western Jamaica, while each hygienic kit will serve one family for two weeks.
A second airplane, which is scheduled to arrive tomorrow (September 15), will bring 1,800 hygienic kits and 250 rolls of plastic sheeting to assist in providing temporary shelter.
The boats and supplies are in addition to US$50,000 being provided by the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the Jamaica Red Cross and the Salvation Army for emergency humanitarian assistance.
The assistance comes after United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb issued a disaster declaration on September 12, two days after Hurricane Ivan hit the island, causing extensive damage, especially in southern and western parishes.
There is a four-person disaster assistance response team based at the USAID in Kingston, to assist the United States Embassy to co-ordinate relief efforts with the ODPEM and the International Federation of the Red Cross.