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Grenada disaster
Guyana writes off US$350,000, sends 100 soldiers, CXC students can continue studies here
Hurricane-ravaged
Grenada is estimated to have suffered EC$10Bln or US$3.5Bln in losses from the
devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan last week, a figure that is ten times the
country's GDP.
“Imagine in two hours they lost wealth equivalent to ten times
their economy,” President Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters at a press briefing
at State House yesterday on the emergency session held by CARICOM Heads of
Government on Wednesday.
The special session, hosted by Trinidad and Tobago 's Prime Minister Patrick
Manning in Port-of-Spain, was held to assess the situation being faced by the
countries affected by the recent hurricanes and to work out a comprehensive
assistance package for Grenada .
Guyana has pledged assistance in the form of a shipment of sugar that had left
before the hurricane struck.
The shipment has a market value of US$350,000 and President Jagdeo said the
quantity is several months' supply for the island.
President Jagdeo also disclosed that he has asked the Caribbean Development
Bank whether the institution would be willing to disburse some funds to
Grenada on Guyana 's existing loan.
One hundred soldiers from the Guyana Defence Force will also be dispatched to
Grenada to assist with emergency works and the rebuilding of the country.
President Jagdeo also offered to accept some of the Grenadian students who
recently wrote the CSEC and CAPE examinations to be integrated into the Guyana
education system so they could continue their studies.
He said CARICOM would coordinate the placement of the students within the
countries in the region, if they so desire.
Guyana has extended the offer of relocating the Guyanese living in Grenada ,
and their families back home.
“We cannot leave our people stranded in any part of the world, especially
when they have just endured a catastrophe,” the President said.
He disclosed that the administration has already made contact with the Guyana
Consul in Grenada on the matter and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr
Roger Luncheon, will be meeting relatives today at the Umana Yana at 16:00
hrs.
President Jagdeo expressed appreciation of the gesture of the private sector
religious organisations, and non-governmental organisations, of assistance for
Grenada .
He said government would be working with the private sector to determine how
to improve the logistics of the assistance.
The President reported that all sectors of Grenada 's economy have been wiped
out by Hurricane Ivan.
“The country is in no position to raise revenue…which came significantly
from foreign trade.”
The situation would prevail over the next several months given the extent of
the damage, according to the President.
President Jagdeo stated that the CARICOM Heads agreed to do as much as they
could to help Grenada but it was recognised that the resources required were
beyond the individual and regional capacity of the CARICOM member states.
It was agreed that aggressive efforts would be made to garner international
assistance.
Efforts are being made to convene a donor conference where pledges would be
made of assistance for Grenada by the international community.
How to make Grenada 's private creditors and the multilateral lending agencies
recognise the situation on the island is also being determined. Efforts would
also be made to have them provide debt relief.
The special session in Trinidad and Tobago also received reports on the
situation in Barbados , Jamaica , St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines .
President Jagdeo said what was heartening was that all the other hurricane-hit
countries requested that Grenada be treated as priority, even though they all
suffered tremendously.
“I left Guyana with the impression that things were really bad but it turned
out to be worse,” the President said.
He related how Richardson Andrews, advisor to Grenada 's Prime Minister Keith
Mitchell, gave a harrowing and emotional account of the devastation on the
island in the wake of the hurricane.
“He said he could not exaggerate the devastation which took place,” the
President said. “The leaders who visited Grenada concurred with this
view.”
The CARICOM Heads at the special session agreed to:
· Establish a poll of budgetary resources to assist Grenada in meeting its
financial obligations for the next three months.
· Reapportion Grenada 's contribution to regional organisations to other
member states.
· The need for a CARICOM-Grenada unit to plan the reconstruction of Grenada ,
in addition to responding to the emergency situation.
· Mandate an early meeting of security chiefs in the region to address
security issues in Grenada , including clear lines of military and security
command.
· The need for public health issues including sanitation, water quality, and
waste disposal to be addressed, in the context of ensuring the adequacy of
shelters and in post-disaster relief efforts.
· Approach the World Bank to undertake a feasibility study on the provision
of insurance coverage for public infrastructure in CARICOM member states.
The CARICOM
Heads have mandated officials to prepare a technical document in order to
implement the decisions made at the special session.
