CAPTAIN Horace Burrell says FIFA’s Finance Committee will be meeting in Zurich on February 4 and 5 to discuss in part further assistance for earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

The president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) explained on Monday that FIFA “has taken this matter of Haiti quite seriously and has decided to give the Haitian Football Federation (HFF) as much help as possible”.

“FIFA Finance Committee will be discussing the Haitian situation with a view of giving more in addition to what they have already given…. they will examine more closely the need and then to make a decision how they can help further,” Captain Burrell said on Monday at the ground-breaking ceremony of Jamaica’s FIFA Goal Project at the UWI Bowl.

FIFA, in the immediate aftermath of the 7.0-magnitude quake that has claimed more than 150,000 lives so far, rushed US$250,000 to assist with relief efforts in the devastated country.

Following on that contribution was FIFA vice-president, Korean Chung Moon-Jung of Hyundai motor fame, who has given US$500,000 of his personal funds, while another FIFA vice-president, Trinidadian Austin ‘Jack’ Warner has donated US$100,000, also his personal money.

Captain Burrell, who led a fact-finding mission into Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on the request of FIFA recently, said that already benefit games are being organised across the globe for Haiti relief.

“In addition, I know as a fact that benefit games are being arranged in various parts of the world. I know the football family is definitely going to rally to the needs of the Haitian Football Federation with a view of helping them get their football programmes back on track,” he said.

On his visit, Captain Burrell, who was briefed by an injured HFF president Dr Yves Jean Bart on arrival, discovered that more than 30 members of Haiti’s football family had perished in the quake. Another 20 were believed trapped in the pile of rubble when the three-storey HFF building tumbled.

Confirmed dead in the immediate aftermath of the devastating quake which struck on January 12, are former senior team coach Gerard Cineus and men’s youth and women’s coach Jean Ives Labaze.

Also, head coach of the senior men’s team Alix Avin succumbed to his injuries last Wednesday night. All of those confirmed dead were attending a series of meetings at the HFF secretariat.

Football officials fear that many others still unaccounted for in the wider disaster area could be dead or seriously injured.

Captain Burrell disclosed that another CFU mission into Haiti to further assess the impact on the football assets will be deployed soon.

“As the senior vice-president of the CFU to Mr Jack Warner, I know that another visit is planned soon, but I cannot give a date at this time,” he noted.

“I am ready to give my all to help my brothers and sisters in Haiti to rebuild their football to where it was and perhaps beyond, and I am sure there will be a Caribbean response as we are having a congress coming up in another couple of weeks at which president Warner will be addressing this matter in depth,” Captain Burrell said.