Flooding in Haiti

TRINIDAD-DISASTER-TT offers hurricane relief to CARICOM neighbours

 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - The government here has offered to contribute some $26 million (US$4.2 million) in hurricane relief to three Caribbean states but the opposition has attacked the move, saying it places the interest of other countries above Trinidad.

 

Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon revealed Friday that Cabinet had agreed to give Jamaica and Haiti $10 million (US$1.6 million) each, while Cuba will receive $6 million (US$1 million) to help with their recovery efforts.

 

The three Caribbean nations have suffered significant infrastructure damage as a result of the passage of hurricanes Gustav and Hanna in recent days.

Some 200 deaths have been recorded in Haiti while the death toll in Jamaica has been put at 12.

 

Gopee-Scoon told journalists that the funds for Jamaica and Haiti were to be taken from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Petroleum Fund which was set up by the government to deal with such disasters. Money for Cuba, which is not a CARICOM state, will be taken from Trinidad's contingency fund.

 

But opposition legislators are criticising the government for allocating such large sums of money to Caribbean nations while neglecting citizens here who have experienced severe flooding as a result of heavy rainfall in recent days. Some 150,000 citizens lost household items, food stuff and agricultural crops as a result of recent severe weather.

 

Opposition Chief Whip Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj hammered the government for treating Caribbean citizens better than its own population.

 

"Government is treating the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago less favourably than it is treating the citizens of the Caribbean," said Maharaj, who represents the Claxton Bay area where residents suffered significant damage to their homes from the recent flooding.

 

Maharaj said he had no problem with assisting fellow Caribbean citizens "but I have a problem with government discriminating against our nationals and treating those in foreign lands more favourably."

 

He said Prime Minister Patrick Manning had not made any statement of sympathy to the people of Claxton Bay or visited them, but noted that he visited Grenada when that country was hit by two major hurricanes in 2004 and 2005.

 

"He is showing more concern for the people of Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti," he added.

 

The move by Trinidad comes ahead of a meeting of CARICOM heads next week, where the issue of relief for affected countries will be discussed.

 

CARICOM chairman Baldwin Spencer said regional leaders will consider the matter when they gather in Barbados on September 10 to discuss the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) - a new trade deal between Europe and the region.

 

Haiti was worst hit following the passage of Gustav and Hanna which dumped heavy rains on the French-speaking CARICOM country. It is estimated that 650,000 people are at risk as floods and landslides have damaged or destroyed homes, hospitals, buildings and roads, making it difficult to access areas in need of help.

 

"We're very much aware and we have been in contact with Haiti at the CARICOM level to work out some modalities. When we meet in Barbados we will use the opportunity, although we're there to discuss the EPA. It is already agreed that the issue will be raised in terms of the level and concrete support that should be given to Haiti," Spencer, the Antigua prime minister, said in a radio interview.

 

CMC/rl/vd/2008(2)