PRESIDENT David Granger has committed Guyana’s support for Caribbean States, which have been ravaged by Hurricane Irma, even as the international community mobilises its response to the disaster.
Reports indicate that there has been severe destruction and at least 10 persons dead across the Region. In a statement on Thursday, the President David Granger-led Government said it stood in solidarity with the people of the hurricane-ravaged territories of the Caribbean and President Granger expresses condolences to his colleague Heads of Government and residents of affected states and to the relatives of those who lost their lives as a result of this storm.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who is responsible for the disaster relief agency, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), informed that Guyana stands ready to lend technical and other forms of support. He disclosed that the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has already sent out Situation Reports (SITREPS) to all its member states, but thus far there has been no direct request for assistance as needs assessments are being completed.
With category-five winds and rain, Irma is one of the most powerful hurricanes every recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It has completely devastated Barbuda and also affected jurisdictions such as St. Maarten, St. Barts, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos and the British Virgin Islands. The United States National Hurricane Center predicted that Irma is likely to remain at category four or five for the next day or two, while it passes to the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti as it heads in the direction of the Bahamas and Florida in the United States.
Meanwhile, more than 10.5 million children live in the countries that are likely to be exposed to the damage from Hurricane Irma, UNICEF has warned. According to the UN agency based on the storm’s current trajectory, children in the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba are at risk, including over three million under five years olds. UNICEF said it is concerned that hundreds of thousands of children could suffer the worst effects of the storm, with those living in coastal zones at highest risk.
“Strong winds and torrential rains have already barreled through some of the smallest and most exposed islands in the eastern Caribbean, including Anguila and Barbuda,” said Patrick Knight, Head of Communication for UNICEF in the Eastern Caribbean, speaking from Barbados. “As the extent of the damage becomes clear, we are seeing severe levels of destruction. Our priority is to reach all those children and families in the affected communities as soon as possible.”
Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm, travelled across various islands of the Eastern Caribbean on Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction in its path, especially in Anguila, the British Virgin Islands, Barbuda and Turks and Caicos Islands. Early estimates suggest that 74,000 people, including 20,000 children, have been affected in these islands. According to local authorities, communication networks in many of the affected areas have been displaced either totally or partially. Infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals and schools has also suffered varying degrees of damage. In Barbuda, 90 per cent of the infrastructure has been destroyed, and it is anticipated that this will include up to 132 schools.
UNICEF said its immediate concern is providing drinking water and sanitation to affected communities, as well providing child protection services for both children and adolescents, including psycho-social support for those affected.
