BDF needed to provide long-term aid to Dominica

THE Barbados Defence Force (BDF) may be offering assistance to Dominica – which was hit by hurricane Maria three weeks ago – until February next year.

BDF’s Public Relations Officer, Captain Maria Moore, told The Barbados Advocate on Wednesday, that a team of mainly artisans will be leaving Barbados on a Coast Guard vessel today, for the Common Wealth of Dominica. She said while Barbados’ assistance to Dominica initially focussed on providing immediate relief, from hereon, the focus would be on rebuilding the infrastructure of that nation.

“We envisage that this is a project that may continue into early next year, maybe down to February, but we are going to be assisting as much as we can. We want to appeal to the public to keep the donations coming in because the Dominicans really need it,” she said.

Captain Moore explained that while people are still making donations to Dominica, through the BDF, the focus is on taking supplies for the general public and not specific groups or persons.

The Public Relations Officer was unable to give numbers as it relates to how many people the Barbados Coast Guard evacuated from Dominica. However, she said while there is a very large Dominican community living in Barbados, they are requesting that they be allowed to travel to Dominica on a Coast Guard vessel to take supplies for their family members and to see about their well-being.

“So it is not a case of you sending a case of corn beef and expecting it to last for a month or two months, because these are not normal circumstances.

“Dominicans are resilient, they are giving people, they are sharing people and they are going to share what resources they have within their communities,” Captain Moore said. (AH)