PM says relief efforts are already underway for A&B

As residents continue brace for the “potentially catastrophic” passage of Hurricane Irma, Prime Minister Gaston Browne is assuring them that relief efforts will begin immediately after the storm.
Browne said that even now, there are two military cargo planes on standby in Venezuela and two others are being loaded in Miami.
He said he expects that the planes will land in Antigua tomorrow at 5 pm, the latest.
“We are actively mobilizing resources within this hemisphere and beyond,” he added.
He said that the government has sent requests for aid and assistance as far as Dubai.
The PM also said the sister island of Barbuda, which forecasters have said would be hit especially hard by the Category 5+++ hurricane, will not be left out since a 20-foot container of supplies stands ready to be taken to their after the hurricane.
Browne said, the government has also sort financial assistance from some of the local financial institutions to make credit facilities available to the administration to help boost relief efforts after Irma.
“It is pointless for us to sit back and mope about any potential damage that may happen and then have a slow recovery. The whole idea is to ensure that Antigua and Barbuda recovers as swiftly as possible,” He said.
Meantime, the nation’s Prime Minister is urging everyone to remain safe during the storm and pay attention to safety precautions that have been issued by the relevant authorities so far.
He is also asking everyone to pray “God will spear us from the wrath of this monster storm”.