–as Caribbean leaders look to rebuild housing stock post-Hurricane Beryl
–President Ali says leaders engaging international partners

FOCUS on accelerating programmes and projects in the region, particularly in the housing sector, will take centre stage as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) looks to muster support for the rebuilding of housing stocks in states that have been ravaged by Hurricane Beryl.

At a closing press conference for the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in St. George’s, Grenada on Tuesday, Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali disclosed that leaders have already engaged with Canada’s Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, who was in attendance at the three-day conference.
“We were in discussion, for a number of months, on ways in which Canada can accelerate programmes and projects for the region, and can deploy a shorter time frame support, especially support after Beryl, focusing especially on housing, digitisation, upskilling, skills development and investment in transformation of our economies,” Dr. Ali told journalists.
He pointed out that a request for ‘strong focus on resilience and sustainability’ was made to support the rebuilding of the housing sector in the region.
While Canada was amenable to the idea, Dr. Ali further highlighted that regional efforts were also ongoing in this regard.
“Matter of fact, in all of these areas, we’re putting together a regional effort so that we can pursue these initiatives. Many countries are already working directly in a number of these areas, but we wanted to have a regional effort in pursuing the opportunities and resources that may be available to accelerate the rebuilding efforts,” President Ali said.

Beryl set a record as the first-ever Category 4 storm in June in the Atlantic, making landfall on July 1 on Carriacou, in Grenada, and wrecking nearby islands.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Barbados, and St. Lucia were among some of the Caribbean States that were affected during Beryl’s passage across the region.
Thousands of people across Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines were left homeless by the storm, which killed at least seven people, and destroyed schools, businesses and crops.
Meanwhile, Grenada’s Prime Minister and new CARICOM chair, Dickon Mitchell has emphasised the importance of ‘building back better’ in the aftermath of the storm.
“For many of our citizens, particularly in the Grenadine Islands, it is going to be a long, slow, painful and difficult climb out of a very deep, dark place. The devastation has been tremendous. The psychological, emotional, and mental impact has been devastating. The physical impact has been devastating,” PM Mitchell said.

He posited that there is a need for a comprehensive approach involving new technologies and regional institutions working with governments and populations.
“We intend to pursue a robust and vigorous approach to raising the necessary financing to help all member states build back and build back better. We appreciate that there has to be, in some instances, a paradigm shift in how we address the issue of resilience and sustainability. Not perhaps just sticking to the conventional approaches to how you build or restore for a category four category, five hurricanes,” he added.
In a recent joint press conference facilitated by the United Nations, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, and Grenada’s Prime Minister Mitchell had voiced a collective call, highlighting the importance of funding to address the climate crisis and rebuilding efforts.

Ideally, leaders are hoping to muster at least $9 million in assistance from the international community.
In an effort to assist 43,000 people, the United Nations joined the call for assistance, stating that $5 million of the $9 million being sought will go to Grenada, and the remaining amount to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.