In hurricane-stricken Barbuda, UN chief urges global solidarity, accelerated climate action

By Michelle Nurse Last updated Oct 10, 2017

Secretary-General António Guterres walks through Codrington town in Barbuda to see firsthand the devastation left behind by Hurricane Irma. (Photo by Rick Bajornas via UN)

Having seen first-hand the destruction wrought by the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday called for the full mobilisation of the international community to support the people of the affected areas, while stressing the need to accelerate climate action.

“I have just witnessed a level of devastation that I have never seen in my life,” Mr. Guterres told a press conference following a visit to storm-battered Barbuda.

“I have been in areas torn by conflict. In my own country, I have seen earthquakes, I’ve seen storms […] I have never seen such a high-level of devastation like the one that I witnessed in Barbuda,” he stated.

“This must make us think seriously,” added Mr. Guterres, who arrived (on Saturday) for a two-day visit to Antigua, Barbuda and Dominica to survey the damage and to assess what more the UN can do to help people recover from the back-to-back, category 5 hurricanes that struck the region recently.