Barbados Defence Force and fire service to assist hurricane battered Dominica
Chief Fire Officer, Errol Maynard, confirmed that four teams were mobilised following an emergency meeting at the Bridgetown Fire Station on Tuesday morning and the teams will be rotated in the island over the next six weeks.
He noted that all off duty personnel have beencalled into action to maintain numbers locally.
Maynard said the first team would include a commanding officer and six fire officers who were emergency management technicians and rescue personnel, to provide assistance to the country in those areas.
In addition, a four-man team is expected to be deployed to render assistance in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands on Wednesday.
The rescue effort was being coordinated through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
Meanwhile, the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) is deploying a contingent to assist the Commonwealth of Dominica in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria
This disclosure has come from the BDF’s Public Relations Officer, Captain Maria Moore, who said humanitarian assistance and disaster relief would be provided to the island.
The BDF contingent is expected to be deployed within the next 12 hours aboard the HMBS Leonard C. Banfield.
Captain Moore added that Barbadians could also provide support to Dominicans by donating bottle water, medical/first aid supplies, canned foods, baby items and general hygiene products to the BDF at St. Ann’s Fort, Garrison, St. Michael, or the Barbados Coast Guard .
She said the items will be taken when the Coast Guard vessel sets sail with BDF and Barbados Fire Service contingents.
As part of the BDF’s mandate, support is provided to the Regional Security System, Member States, CDEMA, CARICOM and the wider region.
Meanwhile, CDEMA’s Executive Director, Ronald Jackson on Tuesday said Barbados will be the hub for the Dominica disaster response.
During a media briefing he disclosed that members of the Rapid Assessment team, search and rescue personnel and a communications kit will depart for Dominica on Tuesday evening along with a CDEMA team .
He added that units will also be deployed from St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
It is expected that the Coast Guard vessel will arrive by 6 a.m. Wednesday morning and it will also be taking supplies from Barbados to Dominica, which, Jackson said, had depleted its own reserves while assisting sister islands affected by Hurricane Irma earlier this month.
“Dominica, through their own solidarity with some of the affected states, would have deployed a lot of their emergency relief items to the British Virgin Islands so they are currently without adequate relief supplies,” he explained, saying that Dominica has an immediate need for supplies to begin its national response to the disaster.
Jackson said based on the geography of Dominica, the rescue and relief operations will be “extremely complex”.
He said while communication on what is happening on the ground is still very sketchy, disaster officials are anticipating a series of landslides and rockfalls all over Dominica which, he said, will make access to very difficult via road or foot.
CDEMA was, however, able to confirm, through amateur radio contact with Dominica in the early afternoon, severe damage to Marigot on the northeastern side of island. .
According to Jackson, the entire population of Dominica, some 69 – 70,000 people, would face direct or indirect impacts from the hurricane, in terms of shelter, access or relief distribution.
Late Monday Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, who had earlier reported that he had to be “rescued’ from his own residence, said in a Whatsapp message relayed by Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan that the world must know of the devastation to the island.
Skerrit, who had earlier reported that he had to be “rescued’ from his own residence, said in a Whatsapp message relayed by Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan that the world must know of the devastation to the island.
World Council of Credit Unions activates Caribbean Relief Fund
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Sep. 20, CMC – The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) has activated a Caribbean Relief Fund to support credit unions that have been affected by Hurricane Irma that recently devastated sections of the Caribbean .
According to the WOCCU, there are more than 10,000 active credit union members in Anguilla, Barbuda, Tortoal and St. Kitts Nevis – countries that felt the wrath of Irma, the most powerful Atlantic hurricane in recorded history.
Unofficial estimates from the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions, a member of the World Council, indicate that approximately US$1.9 billion may be required for reconstruction in the affected countries.
“It is through these difficult times that out global community comes together to show its strength and reach beyond borders to help those in need,” said Brian Branch, the president and chief executive to WOCCU.
The WOCCU is raising funds through the Worldwide Foundation of Credit Unions, its official gift receiving and grant making arm.
In addition to the Caribbean region, the foundation is raising funds to provide relief for those impacted by storms in the United States.
Over the past four years, the foundation has devlivered approximately US$1 million in aid to credit union organisations affected by natural disasters in the Philippines, Nepal, Ecuador, Malawi and Columbia.
Caribbean mobilizes to help Dominica
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Sep. 20, CMC – Member states within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are preparing to offer assistance to Dominica following the passage of Hurricane Maria late Monday.
According CARICOM Chairman, Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada, the situation is a challenging one.
“It is clear that we have a tremendous challenge on our hands, in the Caribbean region as a whole,” said Mitchell who was responding to the effects of Hurricane Maria in Dominica, said he spoke to his colleague Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit late Monday, during the passage of the hurricane.
Mitchell who was speaking to journalists on Wednesday pleaded with Grenadians to reach out to Dominicans “we, in Grenada must recognize that we have a tremendous responsibility to help out our brothers and sisters in Dominica and all other affected countries. This is about us, the region.”
Mitchell recently returned from the Turks and Caicos and several Islands in the Bahamas that were affected by Hurricane Irma last week.
And in St. Lucia following a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, acting Prime Minister Lenard Montoute said plans were already underway to make St Lucia an operational base for the relief effort to Dominica.
“Right now our thoughts are with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and the people of Dominica. Preliminary information is that we have widespread devastation in Dominica,” said Minister Montoute. “From our understanding they are facing a very critical situation and our prayers are with them, as our sister and neighbour. We have to respond and do what we can to assist our brothers and sisters in Dominica.”
He also said that communication has been made with the French and Venezuelan authorities in terms of assistance.
“St Lucia will be used as the base for relief efforts into Dominica because, as you can well appreciate, the airports are not operational; neither are the sea ports. Reconnaissance flights will have to be made to ascertain the actual situation on the ground and for immediate preparation to be made for the landing of helicopters and other aircrafts. We are looking at what assistance we can give immediately and that may entail medical assistance and sending medical personnel and people with expertise in search and rescue. We are hoping that by this evening an assessment of the situation would have been made and we can get a better appreciation of the kind of assistance that is immediately required,” Mitchell said.
With St Lucia being used as an operational base for the humanitarian effort, the Government has agreed in conjunction with the St Lucia Air and Sea Port Authority to waive fees and facilitate the use of warehouse facilities for receipt and distribution.
Meanwhile, the political leader of the main opposition St. Lucia Labour Party Philip J. Pierre says the party has initiated a “help Dominica” drive and the party has opened its headquarters in order to receive donations.
Seven people have so far been confirmed dead as a result of Hurricane Maria’s direct hit on Dominica on Monday night., but there are fears that death toll could rise as officials get into communities that have not yet been reached.
Much of the island’s housing stock were either damaged or destroyed by Maria’s 160 mile-per-hour winds, according to Hartley Henry, principal advisor to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
St Lucia is coordinating with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission on the response efforts.
British Government helping Guyana to distribute hurricane supplies
GEOGETOWN, Guyana, Sep. 21, CMC – The British Government is working with Guyana in an effort to get supplies to countries in the region that have been devastated by hurricanes.
On Thursday, Minister of State Joe Harmon said the British Government through the local High Commission has indicated that it will make a C-130 military aircraft available to take supplies from Guyana to Antigua and Barbuda.
Harmon told reporters that at least 10 containers will be dispatched initially with supplies .
He said the supplies will be taken to Antigua from where they will be distributed by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
According to Harmon, the government has also committed to sending medical and other emergency personnel to the islands.
He added that prior to Britain’s help, the private sector was considering hiring a 300 tonne capacity vessel to take the supplies.
GAICO, a privately-owned company, has already paid US$12,000 to transport one container of supplies to Antigua.
The supplies will be distributed to St Maarten, Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Dominica that were all affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
