CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Apr 27, CMC – The European Union is providing EC$19 million (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) to St. Lucia to help the island in its rehabilitation exercise following the rains in December 2013.

Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony and the EU Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Mikael Barfod, signed the agreement on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony signing the agreement while EU Ambassador Barfod looks on

An EU statement said that funds will go towards the construction of a new bridge critical to river crossing on the west coast, as well as reconstruction of a road along the west coast corridor.

“The work will be undertaken through indirect management by the World Bank and will be aligned to the US$68 million, Disaster Vulnerability Project, which the government of St. Lucia has been implementing,” the statement said.

“This support demonstrates the EU’s commitment to the reconstruction of St. Lucia at a time with economic challenges for the country. It also further underscores the EU’s solidarity with the Caribbean, which we recognise as one of the most vulnerable regions in the world,” said Barfod.

The rains in 2013 caused damage estimated at EC$266 million equivalent to 9.9 per cent of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The EU said that the support is being provided in addition to earlier assistance of EC$1.4 million of emergency humanitarian aid immediately after the storm.