Over 60 tonnes of UK aid has now reached the Caribbean to support
the victims of Hurricane Irma, with another 60 tonnes on the way
on board HMS Ocean.
British military troops along with DFID logisticians supported
the restoration of electricity to the main power station on the
British Virgin Islands as part of the ongoing recovery operation.
Six UK medical health experts have been deployed to Antigua to
assess the capacity of healthcare provisions on affected islands
in the region.
The team, made up of experts from UK-Med and Public Health
England, will measure the current state of public health and any
potential threat of disease breaking out.
International Development Secretary said: “The Government has been
working non-stop to get vital assistance to the victims of
Hurricane Irma in the last week.
“Aid continues to arrive on the affected islands on a daily
basis, and we’ll continue to do all that is needed to get people
back on their feet.
“We are also looking at long-term recovery on the islands. We
want to get families back into houses, and schools and hospitals
working again as soon as possible.”
Yesterday (Thursday), a flight carrying aid reached Turks and
Caicos Islands delivering over 150 shelter kits and 720 litres of
water.
Further flights carrying UK aid arrived in the affected areas
earlier this week. Two of these flights, headed to Anguilla,
delivered nearly five tonnes of food and water
A flight carrying three tonnes of food and water also arrived in
the British Virgin Islands. This much-needed aid has already been
distributed on Tortola alongside 40 shelter kits in Road Town.
Elsewhere, British aid experts quickly sorted and arranged for
the delivery of 1 tonne of food aid including biscuits, fish,
vegetables and sausages, in addition to 38 packs of water and
shelter kits in BVI. The items were distributed to 130 families
using a school as a shelter after their homes were destroyed in
the hurricane
A senior civil expert has been deployed to the Caribbean to
coordinate the entire UK Task Force following Hurricane Irma.
Chris Austin, recently based with DFID in Afghanistan, will
oversee civilian and military operations as part of the UK’s
response.
This week, Prime Minister announced an additional £25
million to support Hurricane Irma recovery efforts, on top of £32
million announced last week. The announcement takes the UK’s
support to the disaster to £57 million.
The funding will continue to meet immediate needs and early
recovery.
Several hospitals, schools, roads and other public services
remain affected following Hurricane Irma, and the support will
help to get basic infrastructure and services up and running
again.
Additionally, the UK government is doubling any public donations
made to the Red Cross appeal for the hurricane’s victims up to
£3million.
Aid also continues to be distributed by British military
personnel and the Red Cross, coordinated by DFID.
The overall UK response today involves over 1,000 military
personnel, 50 police officers, and 30 aid workers.
The aid on HMS Ocean includes over 5,000 hygiene kits containing
essential items such as soap and a torch, 500,000 water
purification tablets and 10,000 buckets.
