ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Nov 4, CMC – The United Kingdom’s Minister for the Commonwealth, Chris Elmore, has announced a new four-year United Kingdom-Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Partnership.
He said the it will begin with a £10 million (One GBP=US$1.34 cents) British programme jointly funded by the UK and Jamaica.
“Alongside our trebling of pre-positioned relief supplies across the Caribbean, this is about working with our Commonwealth partners both to recover from disasters and to be better prepared for the future.”
Elmore said that practical cooperation “is the Commonwealth at its best: sharing expertise, preparing together and helping protect communities when it matters most”.
Elmore, who is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that ends here later on Wednesday, is undertaking a programme of engagements focused on Commonwealth cooperation, resilience and sustainable development.
Elmore has toured the UK-funded humanitarian relief stores here, which contain emergency supplies pre-positioned for rapid deployment across the Caribbean during the hurricane season.
The visit comes almost one year after Elmore travelled to the Caribbean in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, viewing first-hand the devastating impact of the storm on affected communities in Jamaica.
“As we mark one year since Hurricane Melissa, we are reminded of the devastating impact hurricanes can have on communities across the Caribbean, and why being prepared before disaster strikes is so important,” Elmore said.
“That’s why the UK has trebled the relief supplies we have pre-positioned across the Caribbean, so they are already in the region and can reach communities quickly when they are needed most.”
He said in Antigua and Barbuda, the pre-positioned supplies can support at least 10,000 people, including shelter kits, solar lighting and charging equipment.
“And with HMS Trent deployed in the Caribbean, we have a Royal Navy presence in the region ready to support our partners when disaster strikes, as Trent did following Hurricane Melissa last year.”
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