Jamaica backs down from Haiti pullout

Information Minister Daryl Vaz said Wednesday that the government could no longer afford the J$773,000 (US$8,714) per day it cost to keep the soldiers, medical practitioners and members of the Fire Brigade in Haiti. (File photo)

KINGSTON, Jamaica, February 5, 2010 – Jamaica has made an about turn in its decision to pull its soldiers and aid workers out of Haiti.
Less than 24 hours after announcing that it had started withdrawing the team since last Saturday, with the last expected to return home today, the Jamaica government said the team would stay put following a commitment of funds from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

Information Minister Daryl Vaz said Wednesday that the government could no longer afford the J$773,000 (US$8,714) per day it cost to keep the soldiers, medical practitioners and members of the Fire Brigade in Haiti.

While he said the pull out would be suspended yesterday, Vaz said the final decision on whether it will be scrapped altogether won’t be made until Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who is in China on an official visit, returns to the island.
 
“CDEMA has committed to send us J$10 million (US$112,739) today (Thursday) and approved an additional J$30 million (US$ 338,218) to cover our expenses up to January 30," he said, adding that officials from the agency will attend a meeting in Jamaica today to discuss going forward. “So we have got some movement and the Prime Minister will be updated to make a final decision on Saturday on his return.”

"It is important that we get firm commitments on recovering our expenses as Jamaica is not in a position to continue our assistance in Haiti without the requisite funding,” Vaz added.
 
The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) in Haiti, which was opened two days after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Port-au-Prince on January 12th, also facilitates other CARICOM troops.
 
The government said it had racked up around J$40 million (US$450,958) so far and had complained that it could not afford the mounting bill, especially with promised help from its Caribbean neighbours not coming forward.
 
After Vaz announced the withdrawal, CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington and CDEMA head Jeremy Collymore said the move came as a surprise.
 
They had also said they were unaware of any official complaints from Jamaican authorities about any lack of commitment on CARICOM’s part.