ALMOST seven months after Hurricane Melissa tore through sections of western Jamaica, a South Florida-based, Jamaican-led charity says it has amassed a massive stockpile of relief supplies but now faces its biggest hurdle yet — getting the aid to the island.

Derry-Ann Allen, founder of the KaGra Foundation, says the organisation has collected enough donations to fill a 40-foot shipping container with essential supplies ranging from medical equipment and baby formula to mattresses, wheelchairs, and solar-powered radios. However, with shipping and Customs costs now estimated to run into millions of Jamaican dollars, the group is appealing for urgent public and corporate support.

“We asked for help once in acquiring the items, and we got that,” Allen told the Jamaica Observer. “Now we’re asking for assistance with the finances to get it there.”