EDITORIAL:Continue to help

We should be very proud of the good, decent and generous Barbadian spirit, particularly in the response to the unfolding human and economic tragedy in Dominica.

The tremendous impact of Category 5 hurricanes Irma and Maria was realised last Tuesday evening, as Dominica was ravaged by the latter system, which intensified rapidly from a Category 2 system to a major hurricane in less than 24 hours, after brushing this island with intense rains, just hours earlier.

Prime Minister the Right Honorable Freundel Stuart set the right tone in terms of the response that this island will have to the rescue and rebuilding efforts in the nature Isle. He said: “The Caribbean has faced a turbulent hurricane season so far with many of our neighbours facing severe challenges. Together, we will recover, family helping family, as we in the region collectively work to rebuild and restore.”

That tone, showcasing the ‘we’ and noting that the Caribbean exists as one, remains significant. Too often we revert to our own individualistic needs and wants, but in the end, when the world thinks of us, they insist on referring to the Caribbean as a common entity.

The Prime Minister also made it clear that this island, despite its own economic issues, has committed itself to helping Dominica rebound from this devastating blow. “We have put at the disposal of Dominica two coast guard vessels for the purposes of transporting technical personnel, manpower resources and supplies from Barbadians to help that country stabilise and start its trek back. Despite our own economic challenges, we have shown our generosity of spirit and a willingness to put aside our own issues, and open our hearts and pockets to ease the plight of our neighbours. This is the essence of what it means to be Barbadian, part of the CARICOM community and the wider Caribbean family,” Stuart declared.

Even as the Prime Minister led the charge with decisive action through the Barbados Defense Force (BDF) and the Coast Guard, the private sector, schools, community groups, churches and Barbadians from of all walks of life, stepped up and produced items to help those who lost everything on that fateful day last week.

Some groups have made donations through the Barbados Red Cross to target the immediate needs, while others have donated to agencies. The situation remains even more dire for Grenada, given the fact that this island sustained major damage from Tropical Storm Erica, just two years ago, and was now starting to recover. Reports in Dominica have suggested that vegetation has been stripped from practically every tree, some have been split in half or uprooted, and the water system has been disrupted, with roads destroyed – it is a total nightmare.

So we must as a country ask ourselves what if it had been us? Given our brush with Hurricanes Harvey and Maria … it could have been us. Houses were torn apart, flooding was a major issue, yet we are still here. We had an island-wide power outage last Monday, and water outages in some areas, yet we are still standing, so why should we feel that we are invincible?

All of our gains could have been wiped out as some gripped about Tropical Storm watches and schools being closed on the second day. One can only hope that these backward statements exist within the confines of a minority thought process.

People are struggling to find food to eat and water to drink and yet some insist on making it political or sound like they are in such distress. Wake up!