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CARICOM Today Archives for: Dominica

US stands in solidarity with Dominica, Caribbean

 September 21, 2017 @ 11:55 am  September 22, 2017 @ 10:21 am  Leave a comment
Downed trees in Dominica
One of the scenes in Dominica after Hurricane Maria made landfall on Monday 

The United States said it stands in solidarity with the people of Dominica and all those across the Caribbean region affected by the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria.

A message of solidarity from the US Department of State said that the US stands “ready to work with you and our international partners to provide immediate disaster relief. We are in the process of coordinating the best possible package of assistance”.

“The recent natural disasters underscore our interconnectedness and the importance of strong partnership with the Caribbean. The Department of State has an ongoing Task Force working to determine the extent of the damages, to coordinate evacuation efforts, and to provide assistance to U.S. citizens in the affected countries. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the Caribbean region”, the message said.

The message said that for more information on how the public can support disaster relief efforts, please go to the Center for International Disaster Information at www.cidi.org.

CARPHA ready to assist Dominica

 September 21, 2017 @ 10:41 am  September 21, 2017 @ 10:41 am  Leave a comment

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), has deployed members of its staff, who have joined sister CARICOM institution, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), to carry out rapid needs assessment in Dominica.

Dominica suffered widespread devastation to homes and infrastructure after Hurricane Maria, the second major storm to hit the Caribbean this month made landfall on the island on Monday.


CARPHA’s team will add its expertise to the water, sanitation and hygiene component of the evaluation. This includes assessing Dominica’s health facilities and water infrastructure.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is the new single regional public health agency for the Caribbean. It was legally established in July 2011 by an Inter-governmental Agreement signed by Caribbean Member States and began operation in January 2013. The Agency rationalises public health arrangements in the Region by combining the functions of five Caribbean Regional Health Institutions (RHIs) into a single agency. They are:  The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI)  The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC)  The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI)  The Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC)  The Caribbean Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (CRDTL) CARPHA brings these RHIs together as one strong force under a public health umbrella where issues requiring a regional response can be addressed.
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CARICOM Chairman expresses support for hurricane-ravaged Dominica

 September 20, 2017 @ 4:03 pm  September 20, 2017 @ 4:51 pm  Leave a comment
Irma_Chair_SG
CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada (r) and Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque (l) leading a recent delegation to hurricane-damaged islands.

ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA,  20th  SEPT, 2017– GIS: “It is clear that we have a tremendous challenge on our hands, in the Caribbean region as a whole.”

Those were the words of Grenada’s Prime Minister and Chairman of CARICOM Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, in response to the effects of Hurricane Maria in Dominica, on Monday night, September 18th.

The Prime Minister, who appeared visibly shaken by the news coming out of Dominica, after that country was ravaged by Hurricane Maria, said that he had spoken to his colleague Prime Minister in Dominica on Monday night, during the passage of the hurricane.

Since then, there has been no communication from the Dominican leader to his colleagues. (more…)

Hurricanes can turn back the development clock by years

 September 20, 2017 @ 3:51 pm  September 20, 2017 @ 3:51 pm  Leave a comment
A street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after Hurricane Mathew. (UN Photo/Logan Abassi)
A street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after Hurricane Mathew.
(UN Photo/Logan Abassi)

The everyday names of Hurricanes like Irma belie their unprecedented fury and ability to claim not just human lives, homes, bridges and roads. The silent and barely visible victim of these extreme weather events is, increasingly, human and social development.

World Bank studies indicate that some 26 million people – the equivalent of the combined population of Chile and Bolivia – fall into poverty each year due to natural disasters.

No one can stop a hurricane or earthquake, but there are ways to minimize their impacts, as disaster risk management expert Joaquin Toro explains in the following interview.

Read more at: World Bank