Aid is on the way for the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, as the University of the West Indies (UWI) is readying its tactical support to aid the islands in the wake of the Category 5 hurricane.
Vice chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles spoke on behalf of UWI, and expressed his deep sadness and concern for the people of the Bahamas and reiterated the university’s commitment to regional colleagues and partners.
Sir Hilary Beckles said that the UWI Disaster Risk Reduction Centre (DRRC), established in 2005, will work closely with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to advise on and support the needs of the country as necessary.
“The extreme vulnerability of our region is now finally globally recognised as an existential threat caused by climate change and global warming. Once again we have witnessed this truth in the extensive destruction and tragic deaths caused by the growing intensity of hurricanes. As we mourn the human loss in our Bahamas family and lament their massive property destruction, the university urges policy framers to fast track the application of science in building out the region’s future resilience,” said Sir Hilary.
Jeremy Collymore, Resilience Consultant/Advisor in the Office of the vice chancellor, acknowledged the immediate need for emergency assistance. He noted that UWI’s recently endorsed operations plan for interfacing with the regional response mechanism will inform its internal coordination and external support to the impacted state. (PR)
