The latter months of 2003 saw the development of what has become the second major Haitian crisis in the last twelve years. Heightened tension between political parties and supporters resulted in an escalation in civil unrest and the ostensible resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from his post as Prime Minister of Haiti.

Jamaican Prime Minister and out-going Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Honourable P J Patterson, has offered Mr Aristide temporary asylum as well as humanitarian assistance to the Haitians who have fled Haiti to Jamaica since the unrest.

As the crisis unfolds, the Jamaican Government gave specific directives to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), which greatly involved the services of the JDF Air Wing.

When the situation intensified throughout January to February 2004, the Air Wing undertook numerous LRMP missions (Long Range Maritime Patrol). These flights, accomplished by the BN 2A ISLANDER, facilitated the search of large areas of the Jamaican coastal space and territorial waters for Haitian refugee vessels.
The aim of these long range patrols was to timely locate the Haiti vessels and with the expertise the JDF Coast Guard, assist in safely guiding the vessels to land, to prevent any loss as a consequence of the vessels crashing on the unfamiliar shorelines of Jamaica. There have been a series of landings of Haitian refugee vessels, each vessel carrying approximately thirty to forty persons. The areas earmarked to house the dispossessed Haitians are primarily in the parishes of Portland and St James.

JDF Air Wing operational in Manchioneal,
Portland. This safe house accommodates approximately
 30 Haitian refugees.

The JDF working with numerous external organizations such as the Red Cross and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (Police) proved to be a dynamic team, which have been able to timely put in place the necessities required to temporarily house the arriving refugees. JDF Engineers undertaking construction projects at Montpelier St James.