Hurricane Melissa-Hit Caribbean to get $7m in Canada Aid Huntitaricarian – National
Ottawa has announced $7 million to help Caribbean languages hit by Hurricane Melissa – and the government says it could send troops if asked.
“Canada stands with the people of the Caribbean in its efforts at this time, not in words but in action,” Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State, told reporters Thursday in Parliament.
“And we will be here tomorrow to help rebuild stronger, safer and more resilient communities.”
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday. The category 5 storm killed dozens of people in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti while damaging infrastructure and causing power outages.
World News Canada wrote on Thursday afternoon that “we do not know of any Canadian citizens who have been injured or killed as a result of this storm,” and Sarai said that no one has been reported missing as of this day.
“Due to power outages in the region, establishing full communications with those on the ground can be challenging and time-consuming,” the department wrote in a media update Thursday afternoon.
The department said its embassy in Havana has not received requests for assistance from Canadians in Cuba, while the high commission in Jamaica cannot be reached but is working remotely.
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Two members of the Rapid Deployment Team arrived Thursday in Kingston, with three more set to arrive on Friday, to provide emergency services and support for pet disease management.
The department noted Kingston’s main airport has reopened for commercial flights.
Sarai said that $5 million of the new money will go to life support with emergency response agencies and health providers, adding that Global Canada’s news is still informing host countries and organizations.
Another $2 million will go to the World Food Program to support its efforts to distribute food and other items in Jamaica.
Sarai said Canada is prepared to seize aid supplies from its emergency stockpile through the Red Cross, if countries request such assistance.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand added Canada could send military aid if requested.
“At the moment, the request from Jamaica is ready for humanitarian aid. That is what we are bringing in to provide. There has never been a request from the Canadian armed forces at this time,” he told reporters.
“We are standing by 24-7 to assist in any way requested.”
He said the most important thing in Canada is to ensure that aid is distributed “as quickly as possible but also in a reliable manner.”
Ottawa has funded programs designed to help countries like Jamaica deal with natural disasters through emergency planning and emergency response.
Canada is also part of a multi-year effort aimed at reforming international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, so that Caribbean countries can pay for climate-resilient infrastructure.
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