Prime Minister Gaston Browne has proposed a ‘pledging conference’ to garner international support for the Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Beryl.
This call to action came following a meeting with Caricom heads of government on Tuesday.
Addressing the urgent need for assistance, the PM stated, “The resources to rebuild are beyond our means. So therefore, we have to solicit extra-regional support.”
He emphasised the potential role of the United Nations in facilitating this effort, adding, “If we can do this under the ambit of the UN and get pledges from other nations, especially wealthy nations, I think that will help to mobilise resources for relief and for recovery, or to rebuild, for that matter.”
Antigua and Barbuda has already taken concrete steps to assist its neighbours. Two contingents of officers have been dispatched, along with containers of essential supplies including water, tents, tarpaulins and lanterns.
Browne, who also serves as Finance Minister, outlined further plans saying, “We have two planes, so we’ll be able to transfer linesmen and other supporting personnel to assist with the recovery efforts. And we also pledge further cash support, so then the monies that we expended to purchase water, we’ll also give further cash support.”
Drawing from Antigua’s experience with Hurricane Irma in 2017, which devastated Barbuda, Browne expressed empathy for the affected islands.
He encouraged them to “move forward in confident optimism,” despite the challenging road ahead.
The impact of Hurricane Beryl, a category five storm, has been particularly severe in Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Carriacou, an island belonging to Grenada, and Union Island, part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, have been reported as “flattened”.
The death toll across the affected islands has risen to four. Two more people were killed in northern Venezuela, taking the overall total to six, up to news time.
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