OTR EXPRESSES HEARTFELT SOLIDARITY TO THE PEOPLE OF THE CARIBBEAN, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE NON INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES (NICCs) WHOSE INTERESTS ARE THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS SITE. WE PRAY FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY, AND STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE MAXIMUM SUPPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ASSIST THE PEOPLE OF THE AFFECTED COUNTRIES IN THE DAYS AND MONTHS AHEAD AS THEY WORK TO RECOVER AND RESTORE THEIR COUNTRIES.THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF OVERSEAS TERRITORIES REVIEW(OTR) EXPRESSES ITS DEEP CONCERN FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE AFFECTED COUNTRIES OF THE CARIBBEAN IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE DESTRUCTION AND LOSS OF LIFE EXPERIENCED IN THE REGION WITH THE PASSING OF HURRICANE IRMA - THE MOST POWERFUL STORM IN RECORDED HISTORY TO DIRECTLY HIT THE AREA.
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NON INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE IRMA
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UK DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
SINT MAARTEN - AUTONOMOUS COUNTRIES WITH THE NETHERLANDS
SINT EUSTATIUS, SABA - "PUBLIC ENTITIES" OF THE NETHERLANDS
PUERTO RICO, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - U.S. DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
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UNITED NATIONS (U.N.) SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE HURRICANE IRMA
Saddened by Destruction, Loss of Life as Hurricane Irma Hits Caribbean, Secretary-General Commends Response, Pledges United Nations Solidarity.The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
"The Secretary-General is saddened by the reports of immense destruction and loss of life in the Caribbean region since Hurricane Irma made landfall on Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday. He extends his condolences to the Governments and peoples of all the island countries and territories in the region impacted by Hurricane Irma. The Secretary-General expresses the United Nations’ solidarity and commends the leadership of the respective Governments for their preparedness and response to the needs of the affected communities. The United Nations system is already working to support national relief efforts."
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U.N. MANDATES TO ASSIST NON-INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES
(Excerpt from)
"9. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system and regional organizations to strengthen existing measures of support and formulate appropriate programmes of assistance to the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, within the framework of their respective mandates, in order to accelerate progress in the economic and social sectors of those Territories;
Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system concerned to provide information on:
(a) Environmental problems facing the Non-Self-Governing Territories
(b) The impact of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and volcanic
eruptions, and other environmental problems, such as beach and coastal erosion and
droughts, on those Territories..."
(Excerpt from)
"Disaster risk reduction
51. We recognize that small island developing States continue to grapple with the effects of disasters, some of which have increased in intensity and some of which have been exacerbated by climate change, which impede their progress towards sustainable development. We also recognize that disasters can disproportionately affect small island developing States and that there is a critical need to build resilience, strengthen monitoring and prevention, reduce vulnerability, raise awareness and increase preparedness to respond to and recover from disasters.
52. In consideration of the special case of small island developing States and their unique and particular vulnerabilities, we are committed to supporting their efforts:
(a) To gain access to technical assistance and financing for early warning
systems, disaster risk reduction and post-disaster response and recovery, risk
assessment and data, land use and planning, observation equipment, disaster
preparedness and recovery education programmes, including under the Global
Framework for Climate Services, and disaster risk management;
(b) To promote cooperation and investment in disaster risk management in
the public and private sectors;
(c) To strengthen and support contingency planning and provisions for
disaster preparedness and response, emergency relief and population evacuation, in particular for people in vulnerable situations, women and girls, displaced persons, children, older persons and persons with disabilities;
(d) To implement the Hyogo Framework for Action 23 and work for an
ambitious renewed international framework for post-2015 disaster risk reduction
that builds on previous achievements, prioritizes prevention and mitigation and
incorporates implementation frameworks to address implementation gaps if and
when they exist;
(e) To mainstream policies and programmes related to disaster risk
reduction, climate change adaptation and development, as appropriate;
(f) To harmonize national and regional reporting systems, where applicable,
to increase synergies and coherence;
(g) To establish and strengthen risk insurance facilities at the national and
regional levels and place disaster risk management and building resilience at the
centre of policies and strategies, where applicable;
(h) To increase participation in international and regional disaster risk
reduction initiatives."
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U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME PROVIDES
RELIEF/RECOVERY HELP
Now is the time to help Irma-affected people get back on their feet, UNDP
UNDP is also working closely with national authorities in Turks and Caicos, St. Martin and Bahamas to provide support and immediate and long-term recovery measures.
32 million people in the Caribbean live in areas exposed to high-speed wind zones (excess of 60km/h). Photo: UNDP Haiti
Online donations platform to help women, men and children rebuild lives
New York – The most powerful hurricane ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean has battered several Caribbean islands, leaving Barbuda and St. Martins near “uninhabitable”, according to national authorities. Hurricane Irma has also left catastrophic damage as it passed over Turks and Caicos, southern Bahamas, northern Dominican Republic and northern Haiti.
To help countries and communities respond, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has immediately made available US$300,000 from its core resources to support assessments, coordination and recovery planning in Irma-affected countries.
Ahead of the Hurricane UNDP deployed crisis response experts to several Caribbean countries, including Jamaica and Haiti, where nine UNDP staff members are supporting crisis coordination in impacted communities in the north. UNDP is also working closely with national authorities in Turks and Caicos, St. Martin and Bahamas to provide support and immediate and long-term recovery measures.
Across the impacted countries, housing, community infrastructure and the livelihoods of millions of people have been severely damaged.
“In the wake of such disasters those who own so little are the hardest hit,” said UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Jessica Faieta. “In addition to the terrible casualties, they lose their houses, their small businesses, their boats, their livelihoods. Now is the time to help Irma-affected people get back on their feet.”
To help women, men and children rebuild their lives, after Irma’s devastation UNDP has activated an online donations platform. https://Give.undp.org/Irma
Caribbean vulnerability in numbers
- 32 million people in the Caribbean living in areas exposed to high-speed wind zones (excess of 60km/h)
- 2 million people in the Caribbean living in areas exposed to extreme high-speed wind zones (excess of 120km/h)
- 13 people reported dead across affected territories
- 3 hurricanes currently active in the Atlantic Ocean: Irma and Jose over the Caribbean, and Katia in the Gulf of Mexico
