Australia Provides Hurricane Help

Port of Spain, Trinidad – 

Australian Foreign Minister, Ms Julie Bishop, joined CARICOM foreign ministers at
their meeting in New York of Friday 22 September to convey Australia’s deep
sympathy for the loss of life and destruction caused in the Caribbean region by
hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Ms Bishop noted that the storms’ devastating impact has been felt in Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Mexico, Puerto Rico, St Martin/Sint Maarten and the Turks and Caicos.

Ms Bishop announced that the Australian Government would provide $2 million
(USD1.6 million) to enable trusted humanitarian partners to deliver urgent assistance
including water, power and food to affected communities in Caribbean states.

This funding is in addition to the contribution that Australia has already made through
the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which earlier this month
committed US $10 million to the Caribbean relief effort. Australia is among the
CERF’s top ten contributors.

For further details please contact:
John Pilbeam
Australian High Commissioner
Australian High Commission
Port of Spain
Tel: (868) 822 5450 (switch)
Email: [email protected]