CARICOM Secretary General Mr Edwin Carrington has assured the Member States of the Community devastated by Hurricane Georges that the Region stood ready to assist them in their time of need.

Mr Carrington despatched messages of condolence and support to Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis and Haiti on behalf of the Community and the Secretariat earlier this week shortly after the passage of Hurricane Georges through the Caribbean. He also sent a similar message to the Dominican Republic, a Member State of CARIFORUM of which Mr Carrington is also Secretary-General.

The hurricane caused loss of life and widespread destruction of property and crops as it raged through the Caribbean. Official reports indicate that one person was killed in Antigua and Barbuda, two in St Kitts and Nevis and 42 in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic more than 150 people have been reported as dead with hundreds more missing.

According to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Relief Agency (CDERA), the damage in St. Kitts-Nevis was widespread affecting the housing stock in particular, where 85% of the housing units are reported to be adversely affected. Forty-five (45) percent of the shelter facilities have been damaged resulting in significant disruption to schools.

The Government of St. Kitts-Nevis has estimated impact of Hurricane Georges at US $400 million which includes both direct and indirect loses.

In Antigua and Barbuda, the impact has been concentrated in four to five districts which the Government has declared as disaster areas. The immediate need emerging is for support for the 2,500 persons in shelters in St. Kitts-Nevis and approximately 600 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Secretary-General Carrington expressed deep regret at the loss of life and property on behalf of the CARICOM Secretariat and himself and asked the governments to express the deepest sympathy to the family and friends of those that have lost their loved ones on behalf of the Community.

He said "despite the frequency with which this Region is assailed by this particular force of nature, we can never become immune to the tragic circumstances which almost inevitably trail in its wake."

The Secretary General noted that already other Member States of the Community had rallied to assist, and assured the affected states that the Secretariat stood ready to play its part in ensuring that life returned to normal as quickly as was realistically possible.