Premier Aims To Assist Hurricane Relief Efforts
Premier David Burt said he “joins the global community in expressing his heartbreak following the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Beryl” and “that he intends to ask the Cabinet to approve a donation towards the relief effort to assist those who have been affected by the storm.”
A Government spokesperson said, “This week Bermuda watched alongside the global community as the major hurricane moved across the Caribbean, dealing catastrophic damage to the Grenadine islands of Carriacou, Petit Martinique and Union; while also bringing significant flooding and power outages in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, and the Cayman Islands. Latest reports indicate that Beryl has caused at least 10 deaths across the region.
“On Tuesday [July 2], Premier Burt attended an emergency meeting with all the CARICOM Heads of Government to discuss disaster relief and the restoration efforts taking place in the affected Caribbean nations.”
Premier Burt said, “It was a solemn meeting, as we were all affected by the devastation that had been caused by Hurricane Beryl. During that meeting, Bermuda committed to assist the CARICOM disaster relief efforts and relayed that Bermuda’s prayers were with all the countries in the Caribbean during this uncertain and difficult time. It was heartening to see all of us unite and galvanise our collective resources to assist our friends and neighbors in need.”
The Government spokesperson said, “As a note, Premier Burt was scheduled to travel to Grenada from July 3-5, for the 47th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government [HoG]. However, the HoG Meeting was postponed due to Hurricane Beryl.”
Each year there is $50,000 that is placed in the Government Budget for regional disaster support that is available to be used to assist CARICOM countries if needed.
