Barbuda gets funding injection from the CDB

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved US$29 million in funding for the recovery efforts in Barbuda.

The island was severely damaged by category five Hurricane Irma in September, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne saying at the time that it was left “barely habitable”.

The CDB money will be used to rehabilitate and reconstruct critical infrastructure in the transportation, education, water and sanitation, and agriculture sectors.

“The destruction caused by Hurricane Irma adversely impacted the lives of many citizens of Antigua and Barbuda,” said Daniel Best, director of projects for the Bank.

“At CDB, we worked very closely with our in-country counterparts to develop the interventions captured in this project, which will support the government’s efforts towards a comprehensive and sustainable approach to the redevelopment process, as it aims to ‘build back better’.

“We expect the project to significantly contribute to the restoration of livelihoods that were adversely impacted by the passage of the hurricane.

“The outcome for Antigua and Barbuda will not only be more resilient infrastructure but also more resilient institutions and people.”

When Hurricane Irma passed Barbuda on 6 September, housing, crops, livestock and fishing vessels were destroyed.

The storm also severely impacted the island’s water supply.

The Antigua State College was also affected by heavy winds and rains, while storm surges and flooding caused additional damage to many roads.