In the Dynamic Dominica all must have access to safe shelter: Roosevelt Skerrit

The government of Dominica commissioned two emergency shelters in Jimmit and Castle Bruce on Wednesday. The commissioning ceremony was attended by President Charles Savarin, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Minister Reginald Austrie, Minister Rayburn Blackmoore, and Malgorzata Wasilewska- Head of the European Union Delegation to Barbados. During the address, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit stated that the newly opened shelters would enhance Dominica’s response to disaster mitigation and management efforts at the community and nation levels. He stated that the emergency shelter in Jimmit covers 18,000 square feet and has a water storage capacity of a hundred and thirty thousand gallons and a massive generator for power. Prime Minister stated that the facility has a storage facility which can store food supplies, and it would be helpful in times of disaster. “It aims to advance our goals to build back better following the devastating impact of the hurricane on every facet of our country’s infrastructure and to aid in our disaster risk reduction initiatives,” stated the PM. He added that these regional emergency shelters are part of the country’s efforts to develop smart infrastructures. Prime Minister Skerrit stated that the country in the Caribbean are vulnerable to climate change due to their location and small economies. “Five years after Maria, I maintain the conviction that climate action must become a priority of concern for our more developed counterparts,” stated Prime Minister Skerrit. “Despite our disadvantages in Dominica, we are not leaving our fate up to chance, since 2017 we have taken decisive actions to realize our vision to build resilience within key sectors with support from local stakeholders as well regional, international agencies and organizations such as European Union,” stated the Prime Minister. Discussing details about the new emergency shelters, Prime Minister stated that these fall in line with the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) framework. He stated that the government continues to build more resilient housing communities island-wide and aims to build 5,000 homes. “In the Dynamic Dominica that we are creating, all must have access to safe shelter; we are keeping true to our promise of 5,000 resilient homes for the people of Dominica. We do not ever want our citizens to revisit the despair resulting from displacement and homelessness due to Hurricane Maria,” stated the Prime Minister.

In the Dynamic Dominica all must have access to safe shelter: Roosevelt Skerrit

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