ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC—Britain’s Excessive Commissioner to Barbados and the Jap Caribbean, Scott Furssedonn-Wooden, has reiterated the UK’s assist for the Caribbean following the devastation brought on by Hurricane Beryl’s passage earlier this month.
The class 5 hurricane left a path of loss of life and destruction in Grenada, Carriacou, Petite Martinique, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica, in addition to Barbados and S. Lucia.
The British diplomat, who arrived right here as regional leaders gathered for his or her forty seventh common assembly, which begins in a while Sunday, expressed as soon as once more “the UK’s sympathy and solidarity to all these within the area whose lives and livelihoods had been so cruelly affected by Hurricane Beryl.
“As the brand new UK International Secretary, David Lammy, mentioned on his first day on the job, the Caribbean is on the entrance line of the local weather disaster, maybe essentially the most profound and common supply of dysfunction on the earth as we speak.
“The International Secretary views the local weather disaster as a high precedence. That is one we can’t tackle with out pressing, coordinated international motion. The UK will now transfer sooner and do extra to work with our worldwide companions to fight the affect of the local weather disaster,” Furssedonn-Wooden added.
The British diplomat mentioned that London did this by standing with these affected by Beryl.
“We’ve got a long-standing partnership with the Caribbean Catastrophe Emergency Administration Company (CDEMA) and supported their fast response. We offered as much as £500,000 (One GBP = 1.27 cents) of assist. We additionally provided fast emergency provides: 800 shelter kits and options for over 1600 households to retailer recent water, delivered inside days to these made homeless by the hurricane.
“We labored intently with CDEMA, supporting the deployment of their emergency response groups, which assisted in organising and operating emergency operations facilities, transferring aid, assessing wants, and sorting logistics.
“However we wish to do extra. The UK has at all times invested in serving to to extend the resilience of Caribbean states. In recent times, we’ve invested US$59 million (EC$160m) in upgrading 55 susceptible Caribbean well being services to make them extra resilient. Regardless of some harm, these services stood up effectively to a class 4 hurricane, servicing the healthcare wants of native populations instantly after affect.”
Furssedonn-Wooden mentioned that the UK has additionally been a number one supporter of Catastrophe Danger Finance (DRF) mechanisms, which assist to guard international locations and communities towards local weather shocks and excessive climate.
He famous that 20 years in the past, after Hurricane Ivan, the Caribbean led the world in establishing the Caribbean Disaster Danger Insurance coverage Facility (CCRIF SPC), making insurance coverage cheaper as a bunch.
“The UK is proud to have been a founder donor to CCRIF SPC, by way of which Caribbean international locations at the moment switch US$1.3 billion (EC$3.5 billion) of threat annually to the worldwide markets.
“The international locations affected by Hurricane Beryl will obtain over US$75 million (EC$200 million) from CCRIF for response and restoration. Grenada, the place Hurricane Beryl made landfall, will obtain US$55.5 million (EC$150 million), the biggest ever payout from CCRIF.”
He mentioned London additionally spent US$25 million (EC$67.5m) final yr to arrange the Caribbean Water Utilities Insurance coverage Collective (CWUIC), which has simply paid out US$2.2m (EC$5.95 million) to the Nationwide Water and Sewerage Authority in Grenada.
Grenada Electrical energy Companies additionally obtained a most payout to revive the electrical energy cable community. Grenada had led the area in defending the very important work of its utilities—the crucial energy, water, and wastewater providers which can be very important to well being and dignity.
“We should proceed to organize and construct resilience towards hurricanes and different local weather impacts. We should additionally work collectively internationally to safe elevated amount, high quality, and accessibility of local weather and nature financing.
“As CARICOM leaders collect this week, the area might be assured that the UK stands with you, that we perceive the dangers you face, and that we are going to work with you and our worldwide companions to make sure yours is a safe and resilient future,” Furssedonn-Wooden added.
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