Canada to provide over $1M to hurricane-hit islands in Caribbean

The Minister of International Development of Canada, Ahmed Hussen, has announced financial assistance of more than $1 million to the Caribbean islands which have been devastated by the Category 4 Hurricane Beryl.

This much needed funding will allow the humanitarian partners of Canada to provide life-saving assistance including emergency food and nutrition services, protection as well as logistics services, and to make sure that humanitarian goods are timely dispatched and that humanitarian workers will continue to be able to respond to the crisis during the most challenging times.

According to the information, $500,000 from this amount will be provided to the World Food Programme for logistics services and emergency food assistance.

In addition to this, $160,000 will be allocated to the relief operations of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as part of the Canadian Government’s project with the Red Cross Society’s Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund.

These funds are all aimed at providing assistance to Grenada, Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines. 

Canada is also deploying necessary relief items to the Jamaica Red Cross Society, which are valued at around $350,000. 

Meanwhile, Minister Hussen has also said that Canada will be allocated $200,000 to the CDEMA – Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency to mobilize the regional deployment teams and provide direct support to nations needing immediate response. 

Furthermore, it is said that through the Build Back Equal Project, Canada will be contributing to United Nations Women and United Nations Population Fund efforts to disseminate hygiene and dignity product kits across Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines. 

The International Development Minister further said that Canada is also assisting in the preparations of the Caribbean region for significant disasters before they happen through the World Food Programme’s Resilience and Enhanced Adaptability to Disasters in the Caribbean project. 

On the other hand, the WFP, in partnership with response organizations including the CDEMA is involved actively in preparedness actions to make sure that the international community is prepared and able to support the affected citizens and the governments which support them.