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Bahamas hurricane relief effort
Customs duty and import tarrifs lifted at THREE Out Island airports - Relief effort organization
Web-posted: Sep. 17, 1999

PLEASE DO NOT go to the Abacos to deliver relief supplies unless you have some kind of permission, authorization or permit from The Bahamas Government or other emergency reason. You need permission, even if you just want to drop off relief supplies, and you need to make sure that your permission request is addressed to The Bahamas Government Hurricane Relief Attn: Administrator Joseph Ferguson (FAX) 242-327-5807 to Ms. Theresa Butler - Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister. On your fax, you must include who you are, where are you going, why are you bringing materials (for the relief effort), list of items on your plane or boat, tail number of plane or boat registration ... you need an official fax authorization before you leave or you won't be allowed in and/or will be charged duty on your relief supplies. If you need to come in, you must bring your documents. Please check for updates, because policies will change at some point. PLEASE DO NOT GO UNLESS YOU HAVE OFFICIAL APPROVAL AND RELIEF SUPPLIES OR OWN PROPERTY OR HAVE RECEIVED APPROVAL TO HELP.

Supplies needed include: Bottled water, towels, toiletries, baby food and formula, chain saws, generators, plastic sheeting, sideing, sunscreen, gloves, bleach, rakes, mosquito spray, screening, first-aid kits, diapers, battery packs, brooms, VHF radios, canned foods, lumber, Benadryl, shovels, flashlights, blankets, cooking utensils, plywood. FOR INFORMATION ON FINANCIAL DONATIONS, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Bahamas organizes to accept assistance
By JODY A. BENJAMIN Staff Writer - 9/18/99

For three days now, ... planes bearing everything from bottled water to electric generators have landed on the hard-hit Bahamian islands, signaling an outpouring of help from South Florida.

But in some cases, the help caught Bahamian Customs officials, who are waiving duty tariffs on disaster relief, off guard.

Several ambitious donors in private planes have showed up unannounced in remote airports, said Franklyn Rolle, Bahamian consul general in Miami.

On Friday, the Bahamian government said it would require relief flights to use one of three airports set up to accept aid -- or pilots would have to pay the normal customs duty.

How to contribute to the Bahamas relief effort:
"We want them to get clearance first," said Rolle. "We've had people who just went over on their own to areas not badly affected by the hurricane, with food and other items. ... we need the help, but we don't want people to take advantage of the situation." Taking advantage would include bringing in nonhurricane products to benefit economically from the tariff waiver.

The government has set up relief airstrips on Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay in the Abacos and at Governor's Harbour on Eleuthera island, Rolle said. Additional airports for relief aid may be opened in the coming days. ..... On Friday, a Fort Lauderdale-based yachting association said it would join the relief effort.

Also on Friday, Gulfstream International Airlines sent 6,000 pounds of bottled water, baby food, and canned vegetables to the Abacos from Fort Lauderdale aboard a passenger propeller plane that had been stripped of its seats for the emergency service.

The company that generally flies tourists and businesspeople to the Bahamas diverted one of its planes after Floyd struck, said Wendy Clements, marketing vice president.

"We're doing what we can to help," she said.