Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Chairman expresses sympathy to countries affected by Tomas
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said Monday that the sub-region is mobilising its resources to assist member countries of the OECS which have been affected by Hurricane Tomas.
Dr. Douglas, who is also the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the OECS Authority would provide whatever assistance it can provide beyond the sub-region to, for example, Barbados.
“I must express my profound condolences to, not only the governments, but for the families of those who have lost lives,” said Dr. Douglas, who made the statement in Philipsburg, St. Maarten where he was attending the 10th Annual General Meeting of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP).
“We believe that the Caribbean is further put into a state of mourning, of course it’s on Wednesday that we would be putting to rest the mortal remains of our prime minister of Barbados and now within this same time period we are again in a state of mourning and shock as a result of the destruction and loss of life from Tomas.
“I have been informed from my position here in St. Maarten that our national emergency management agency in St. Kitts and Nevis has already begun to mobilise, not only material resources but is in contact with St. Vincent and St. Lucia asking whether any of our human resource personnel, trained in disaster management, if they are going to be required to go down to St. Lucia or St. Vincent to lend assistance.”
Pointing out that hurricanes were disasters that visit the Caribbean every year, Dr. Douglas said the region had emphasised to the World Bank during the recent annual general meeting in Washington that the Caribbean Disaster Fund becomes much more responsive to the needs of the region.
“We also have been making the point that we should not only have the Fund accessed after hurricanes or earthquakes,” he said, noting that in recent times, floods associated with tropical storms and depressions have been causing widespread damage to regional economies.
“… the destruction from excessive water and flooding that we have seen over the last few weeks tells us that we need to have a second look as to what triggers the Fund in bringing relief to nations that have been so affected,” the OECS Chairman said.
Hurricane Tomas caused widespread destruction as it made its way across the Eastern Caribbean over the weekend and has been blamed for two deaths in St. Lucia and widespread destruction in Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Hon. Stephenson King, who had been in Barbados during the passage of the storm, said that he has already held talks with United States government representatives as well as the World Bank.
