Even after going through the proper channels to have over $20,000 worth of donated hurricane relief goods cleared by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), today the Grand Bahama Humane Society is still waiting and the human rights association is outraged.
“This nonsense must stop. We are in the middle of a crisis and an emergency. The more relief goods that we can bring in and the quicker we can distribute it the better,” says Grand Bahama Human Rights Association President Fred Smith.
Three boatloads of relief supplies arrived at Old Bahama Bay in West End Sunday morning from Florida.
They include pet and human food, medicine, baby items ﾗ like diapers, formula and wipes ﾗ and new and used clothing and shoes.
“Unfortunately, because of governmental interference and confusion and attempting to control every single aspect of the relief effort, the people who have brought these items in could not get them cleared from Customs today,” Mr. Smith said.
Sunday, representatives from the Humane Society were reportedly told that they needed to have a letter from NEMA or a government administrator.
“Therefore, Customs was refusing to allow these goods to be brought in duty free,” Mr. Smith revealed.
Instead, Smith said, the goods had to be unloaded from the three boats and placed into a Customs warehouse, despite the fact that several of the items are on the exigency list to be brought in duty free.
He charged that government’s interference is going to discourage private organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGO)s and other relief organizations from giving relief to those in need.
“The government should be embracing efforts from individual organizations to help,” Mr. Smith said, adding that the supplies could have already been distributed in communities in West Grand Bahama, those hardest hit.
The human rights activist called the situation a disgrace and charged that Grand Bahama has already been through enough with last year’s twin storms when, he says, government would not even let water in duty free.
He says government should instruct Bahamas Customs to allow all relief supplies in duty free and automatically released for immediate distribution.
“The government’s just going to have to trust that people like the Red Cross, or the Salvation Army or the Human Rights Association or the Rotary Clubs or the Humane Society are going to behave responsibly,” Mr. Smith said.
Meanwhile, Humane Society co-manager Elizabeth Burrows said they are ready to commence distribution, but even after making the relevant information available to NEMA yesterday, they are marking time.
That’s because no one was available to execute proceedings on Monday.
Neither NEMA representative, Senior Administrator Carnard Bethel, or Administrator Alexander Williams was in office and, Ms. Burrows said it is frustrating and disappointing that they are the only two who can sign off on the goods.
Having someone else in place to approve the goods, the NGOs in their absence would have been a good idea, she said.
The organization received an overwhelming response from Florida residents as a result of her e-mail and an article in the Palm Beach Post last week Thursday about the boat load of goods heading this way.
“The Humane Society is hoping that we can get these goods cleared as quickly as possible. We’re disappointed that, being one of the oldest charities on the island, a little leeway could not be given in light of the current devastation that people have suffered,” Ms. Burrows said. “We’re a reputable organization and our intentions are nothing but honourable. We’ve got people on stand-by. it’s delaying us from getting the goods to the people who need them.”
A NEMA spokesperson told The Freeport News Monday that the goods were brought to the agency’s attention that morning and explained, however, that according to procedure, everything has to be cleared before it is sent to the country.
Both administrators were reportedly off the island yesterday assisting with efforts in Bimini.
By LEDEDRA MARCHE, Senior FN Reporter
