Special Emergency Meeting Of CARICOM
CARICOM heads held a special emergency meeting via video conference to discuss the impact of Hurricane Irma on CARICOM nations and neighbouring islands, with Premier David Burt, Dr. Derrick Binns and Ms. Kimberley Durrant taking part.
“Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM] convened by video conference a fifth special emergency meeting on Saturday, 9th September 2017,” a spokesperson said.
“Premier, the Hon. David Burt, JP MP, participated in the videoconference and was joined by Dr. Derrick Binns, the Secretary to the Cabinet and Ms. Kimberley Durrant, Director of London Office & UK Representative for the Government of Bermuda, who joined by telephone from London.
“The meeting was convened by the Prime Minister of Dominica, the Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit and presided over by CARICOM Chairman, Dr the Rt Honourable Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada.
“The meeting was called to discuss the impact of Hurricane Irma on CARICOM nations and neighbouring islands, and to assess and determine what assistance can be given to those in need.
“The group received a full briefing on the situation from representatives of the affected countries, the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency [CDEMA], the Community’s lead agency for disaster response, CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and regional institutions.
“During the video conference, concern was expressed about the long term psychological effects of the situation, particularly the serious dislocation and sense of loss of the people of those countries that were impacted.
“It was also stressed that these disasters emphasised the economic vulnerability of the Region given the cost of recovery and the impact on economic activity of the affected countries.”
Premier Burt said, “I was pleased to engage in this, my first dialogue with fellow CARICOM Heads of Government. It was an appropriate opportunity to demonstrate the Bermuda Government’s commitment to re-new its participation in CARICOM.”
Does Burt understand what he said?
“renew”.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why not leave the “photo-op” behind and concentrate on the very real distress and danger facing some of these Islands that were so very badly hit. It is not only immediate needs but long term, with many jobs now gone, cruise industry searching for places to now cruise, tourists perhaps now not going, etc. and so it goes on. They need very real and very substansive help. Not for just this week or next, but for many, many, many months ahead. Long term assistance needed to rebuild lives of people who have lost absolutely everything including prospects of jobs, housing and living wages for the future. Hard to comprehend sitting where we are sitting. Great to have a meeting but this needs more than just meetings with high level officials sitting in air conditioned rooms, well meaning as they may be.
Streetfighter II was brilliant.
Thanks CARICOM!!
Why..? Bermuda is NOT carribean..