Antigua, whose sister isle, Barbuda, was devastated by Hurricane Irma, his pledged its support for Dominica which was ravaged by Hurricane Maria during the early hours on Tuesday.
“The government and people of Antigua and Barbuda stands in solidarity with the government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica during this time of need. We express our deep sorrow at the loss of life and property resulting from the passage of Hurricane Maria over the island. We stand ready to lend support to our brothers and sisters in Dominica,” Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.
Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said on Tuesday that Maria swept away the roofs of almost every person he has spoken to or otherwise made contact with.
“The roof to my own official residence was among the first to go, and this apparently triggered an avalanche of torn away roofs in the city and the countryside,” he said on Facebook. “I am honestly not preoccupied with physical damage at this time, because it is devastating, indeed mind boggling.
“My focus now is on rescuing the trapped and securing medical assistance for the injured,” Skerrit added. “We will need help, my friend, we will need help of all kinds.”
Browne said that, despite Antigua’s own challenge with the rebuilding of Barbuda, “now more than ever, the region needs to stand side by side in coming to the assistance of those countries ravaged by recent hurricanes.
“We will work as a country individually to assist in the recovery efforts in Dominica, and we will also work with our fellow colleagues as part of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency to bring Dominica back to some semblance of normalcy.
“However, based on the initial reports of widespread devastation, the rebuilding effort will be monumental,” Browne added. “But together, we can accomplish the task.”
The Antiguan leader stressed that his country “remains committed,” adding: “Together, we will summon our resilient spirit and rebuild Dominica and Barbuda and the other islands within the region that were devastated by hurricanes.”
