Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 16, 2021 (SKNIS): Janelle Lewis Tafari, Chair of the Welfare, Relief Supplies, and Shelter Management Sub-Committee, said that the committee is tasked with meeting all contingencies at emergency shelters in St. Kitts.
“Our committee is responsible for ensuring that persons have access to basic needs. We are responsible for ensuring that supplies are entered into the country, they are processed and they get into the hands of persons who need the supplies,” said Mrs. Lewis Tafari, during the July 14 edition of Working for You.
Mrs. Lewis Tafari said that the committee plays a pivotal role after a disaster.
“We are also responsible for doing the initial assessment after a disaster to determine the needs of the persons on the ground. This input is then fed to other sub-committees such as the foreign assistance sub-committee, who in their capacity now, would reach out to our embassies, consulates and other sponsors to try and get supplies to the country,” she said.
She added that the committee also ensures the safety and security of persons within shelters.
“When persons have to be placed in a shelter because of a disaster we have the responsibility of ensuring that they are safe in that shelter and that they are as comfortable as possible. So we have to ensure that they receive all their meals and we have to ensure that if there are any medical needs that must be attended to that we are aware of those and we can assist them,” Mrs. Lewis Tafari noted.
She noted that once a person is registered into a shelter a basic registration is done to determine who they are, their age, gender, as well as whether or not they have any non-communicable diseases or if they are taking any medications, have any allergies or dietary restrictions. She added that religion is also taken into consideration and this helps in the preparation of food etc.
