Over US$2-billion were pledged for Caribbean countries affected by Hurricanes Maria and Irma at a CARICOM-UN High-level Pledging Conference, which took place at the UN Headquarters in New York this week.
According to a UN report, there were over US$1.3 billion in pledges and over $1 billion in loans and debt relief.
Support was derived from nearly 400 high-level representatives from governments, multilateral and civil society organizations and the private sector that attended the event to help countries build back better as the first climate resilient countries in the world.
According to latest estimates, recovery cost surpasses US$5-billion in the wake of the two devastating hurricanes.
CARICOM Secretary-General, Irwin LaRocque said the task of rebuilding is beyond the affected countries.
“The magnitude of reconstruction will require significant levels of financing which we are unable to generate on our own. Countries are highly indebted, with limited access to financing due to their middle-income status,” he said. “The task is beyond us.”
In Dominica, Hurricane Maria decimated decades of development gains, impacting over 200 percent of the island state’s GDP. Poverty levels risk rising above 60 percent. Nearly 60 percent of damages relate to housing and transportation infrastructure, with recovery costs estimated at around US$1.3 billion.
“We have the goal of rebuilding Dominica as the world’s first climate-resilient country,” Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who attended the conference, said. “It’s an existential matter for us; it’s the only way forward.”
In Barbuda, damages surpass US$130 million with recovery needs of over $220 million, according to the latest post-Irma assessment.
Responding to the urgent needs, over US$1.35 billion were pledged by established partners and new ones.
Estimated amounts in US$:
$702-million from The Netherlands;
$352-million from the European Union;
$140-million from the World Bank;
$78-million from Canada;
$30-million from China;
$27-million from Mexico;
$12-million from Italy;
$4.3-million from the United States;
$4-million from Japan;
$1-million from Kuwait;
$2-million from India;
$1-million from Venezuela;
$1.2-million from Belgium;
$1-million from Chile;
$500,000 from Denmark;
$300,000 from Colombia;
$250,000 from Haiti;
US$ 250,000 from New Zealand;
$200,000 from Brazil;
$150,000 from Kazakhstan;
$100,000 from Romania;
$100,000 from Portugal;
$20,000 from Serbia
barbara Saunders are you for Real….God have mercy on you.
Yes I’m for real and I am also praying for God’s mercy on me given the state of mind of some of the people in the land where I live.
To all of you who want Dominica to fail so that you can get your own against Roosevelt Skerrit I say look again at Maria’s handiwork. Every single village and town was devastated. Those whose roof didn’t blow off got flooded. If that didn’t happen, burglars broke in. If that didn’t happen they cut cut by galvanize or prickled by nails. If that didn’t happen they got infected with Leptospirosis. If that didn’t happen, they suddenly died without explanation.
You all are still asking for more? You all said Dominica was the poorest in the hemisphere, God allowed your wish to be granted. You all said we had the highest unemployment rate in the region He again facilitated you.
Guess what, Maria couldn’t recognise the blue hatemongering ones from the red fanatics or the green confused ones. The looters didn’t either! We all got it, so I say if you all continue, the next event will be the wiping out of DA and Skerrit and his American family may not even be on island.
Corrections “got cut” “or pricked y nails”
America could have given more had crooked Skerit been out of the picture.
But according to Q95’s Rijock, the Americans were just waiting to pick him up as soon as he set foot on American soil. He also couldn’t travel to the US. He also had a multi-million dollar mansion in the US. He also gave 10,000 passports to a diplomat for sale in the middle East.
The list goes on and I’m supposed to join you all to call him crooked on the basis of those nancy stories. He may well be crooked but give me something more sensible and credible to convince me. and don’t come with the sale of diplomatic passports for campaign financing and other purposes, which after all that massive effort and international assistance such as CBS appearances to black list Dominica still has not been proven.
Instead the proof is surprisingly on the other foot!
Incidentally, where is the honourable jailbird Rijock who was the source of information of those who will listen to anything negative about Government and Dominica?
Also who
God curse no man bless.
I see the Americans went above and beyond.
Oh I forgot, this is not the “war” on drugs. It is for reconstruction and they are only willing to spend money on fight a losing battle on drugs and other wars.
I am aware of how it works…. it may be revealed in aid, loans, grants…. but, every form of financial relief is a relief! There is no doubt that Dominica will grow. What we decide to do with the rapidly growing Dominica is the question. The word of God says that Heaven and Earth will pass away but His word will remain. We know for a fact that the Earth will be destroyed in the book of revelation, 2 peter 3:10, Isiah 24, unless you are a Jehovah witness or believe otherwise nonetheless, it will happen because GOD SAYS THAT IT WILL!
My job is not to throw darts but to help us understand the danger that we are in. Why should i lash at someone who is already being oppressed by the kingdom of darkness? This is not of Jesus, but to restore while we have the time here on earth. Jesus loves us but cannot help us if we tie his hands. Follow His statutes and commandments, obey His voice…. people, He is as real as you are alive!
Trust me!
Trust the living God!
Praise Jesus!
We
Who is being oppressed by the kingdom of darkness?
Please observe how Skerrit is properly placed in the background. He needs to stay there and make his exit like the setting sun disappearing over the horizon
Please observe Linton attended the meeting uninvited and unwanted. And was left to the back in a dark corner.
That’s great. Let’s hope they keep their pledges and put the money in the accounts as promised.
Lovely! I just wished all was for Dominica. Saint Martin might get half of the $700 million. Dominica needs $1.3 Billion just for recovery. Then again lets hope that these people keep their word. We need the assistance its going to be hard painful and slow because the monies will not just flow like a river.
Well it’s Caricom, st, Martin is not apart of caricom
Thank you to the countries who donated and to the caricom leaders for their hard work. I’m impressed and proud that when Irma hit before Maria we donated more money than major countries did like Brazil, New Zealand, and Portugal did.
A Pledge is only comfort to a fool.
America could have given a little more in my opinion
Anyway we say thanks to all
PM god bless you
May he give you strength and Heath to continue to build dominica
Who god bless no man curse
Also who
God curse no man bless.