Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 27/Oct 05:10

Foreign Minister, students disagree on Jamaica evacuation

AS Hurricane Melissa makes its way toward Jamaica, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers assured that TT nationals studying on the island were not left behind, but the students believe reality is different on the ground. Speaking at a media conference on October 26, Sobers said the ministry took immediate action after receiving e-mails from concerned students and parents around midday on October 22. The US-based National Hurricane Centre began monitoring the system around October 21 and warned of impacts to Jamaica by October 23. Sobers said a "blast e-mail" was sent to all 268 students in Jamaica on the morning of October 23, asking if they wished to return home. However, he said only 72 accepted the offer, while 13 declined. The other 183, he said, did not respond to the e-mail. This information, he said, was passed on to Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) and the Foreign Affairs Ministry amalgamated it with the list from the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training (MTEST) to reach out to students individually. He said at 9.20 am on October 23, CAL's manager on the island told the High Commission's first secretary that there were no requests from students for a flight back to Trinidad, but there were 22 seats available on the regularly scheduled flight and students would be given priority. At 3.06 pm, he said it was decided that two additional flights would be made available on October 24, BW 405 at 10.30 am and BW 415 at 11.25 am, both having 160 available seats each. "They (students) could have gone to the website and booked, they could have gone to the airport and booked, they could have gone through the High Commission to book the flights as well too, and each flight would have allowed for 160 by two, 320 students, which would have been more than the amount of students that we have listed." A CAL statement on October 25 said the additional flights on October 24, BW 405 and BW 415, were hosted "in preparation for the securing of its assets in Jamaica and to ensure the safe return of its aircraft and crew to base in Trinidad." It said there were a total of 159 spaces on these flights, 38 on BW 405 and 121 on BW 415. It said this information was provided to the High Commission and MTEST when contacted on October 23 to get students out of Jamaica. Sobers was unable to say what the cost of the flights was, but said information given to him from CAL was that they were discounted. However, students who spoke to Newsday on the condition of anonymity said the cost of flights increased from when they began making checks. Screen shots taken at 8.47 pm on October 23 showed the price as US$371 for a flight on October 24. A receipt from one student who was able to book a space on BW 415 showed them paying US$530.17 for a one-way ticket. Another student, who booked a round trip, paid US$723.67. Newly installed CAL chairman Reyna Kowlessar said the airline offered change fee waivers when contacted by Newsday about the minister's claim of discounted rates, while students complained of increased fares. "Therefore, no additional charges to be applied, for passengers holding confirmed bookings for travel on other dates but wishing to travel on these flights," she said in a WhatsApp response. Questioned during the press conference about the rates paid by students, Sobers said he could not comment unless he saw documentation of the prices. With the minister admitting that government understood some students would not have been able to afford the tickets to return home, Newsday asked why the government did not fund the trips. Sobers responded by saying it was not deemed feasible. "It was in fact something that was considered. Unfortunately at this juncture, when we looked at, in terms of the response, the blast e-mail that would have been sent out to these 268 students when would have only received essentially 72 plus 13 which is 85 students with a balance of 183 who did not respond, at that juncture we were of the opinion: 'Listen, let's just get the planes out there.' "To say that we would send the planes just for free and we don't know if it would serve a greater number of persons at that stage, we thought it might not have been in the best interest to do it at that stage." He added: "If we had more responses, it would have helped better inform the decision." He said discussions were under way to provide a free flight for students to return after the storm had passed. One of the students told Newsday he believed the minister's press conference gave the impression that students chose not to return. "It wasn't a case where we chose not to come home. It was a case where students couldn't afford to come home because some students got the e-mail late regarding to the flight times and that kind of thing." While Sobers said the students were sent an e-mail between 12 and 24 hours prior to the departures, they said the first time they were notified of it was in an e-mail at 6.39 pm on October 24 from MTEST; hours after the flights had already left. An e-mail sent to students at 7.33 am on October 24 from MTEST said there were no plans in place to get them home. "At this time, there are no arrangements in place to evacuate students or to refund students who want to return to Trinidad. However, the GoRTT is monitoring the situation and will provide updates as the situation requires. All students are advised to take the necessary precautions, monitor reliable news/weather sources and liaise with campus officials for updates," it said. The flights were listed in a post to CAL's Facebook page at 9.51 pm on October 23 as it announced changes to its schedule due to the tropical disturbance. Supplies provided to remaining students For those who did not leave, the Foreign Affairs minister said additional funds were released to the High Commission to provide support and supplies. "Once they contacted the head of chancery, those food stuffs would have been given to them...that exercise has been ongoing since Friday. Since Friday in terms of the report we received from (Head of Chancery Amanda) Fraser, she has given out maybe 140 supplies to students who would have been in Jamaica who stayed for whatever reason they decided to stay." He said some items were being stored at the chancery to provide relief in the aftermath. Videos posted to social media by students claimed the provisions were significantly inadequate for the number of students in Jamaica. Sobers said the video did not paint an accurate picture of the quantity of supplies given and caused the head of chancery to cry. "When she was told there was some type of video being bandied around with less than what was actually provided, it hurt her. So I want to appeal to persons that this is not something that we should be playing games with. There is a lot that is being done by the public servants within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially the head of chancery, to get supplies out to students." Too much mischief Sobers slammed the opposition, whom he termed "mischief makers" for fuelling misinformation about what was transpiring with the students. Sobers also rubbished any notion that TT's stance with the US against Venezuela, despite an otherwise united Caricom view against the military action, would prevent TT from assisting regional counterparts. He said TT stands ready and willing to assist Jamaica in dealing with the effects of the hurricane. The post Foreign Minister, students disagree on Jamaica evacuation appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.