Guyana checking on thousands of citizens in islands affected by Hurricane Irma

The Government of Guyana, mindful that thousands of Guyanese reside and work in Caribbean Islands affected by Hurricane Irma, is hoping to establish lines of communication to determine the well-being of Guyanese in the affected islands, Minister of State Joseph Harmon announced today.

At a post cabinet media briefing, he said that the Government of Guyana is saddened by the loss of life and huge swath of disaster which Irma has resulted in.

As a member of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Guyana said it will continue to examine the situation and based on a collective response, the government will make contribution to relief efforts.

Harmon noted that at least 10 persons have died and Hurricane Irma has left billions of dollars in damage to property in many Caribbean islands.

Meanwhile, in a subsequent release from the Ministry of the Presidency, President David Granger committed Guyana’s support for the affected Caribbean States.

“The Government of Guyana stands in solidarity with the people of the hurricane-ravaged territories of the Caribbean and President Granger expresses condolences to his colleague Heads of Government and residents of affected states and to the relatives of those who lost their lives as a result of this storm,” the government statement noted.

It was further noted that Harmon, who is responsible for the disaster relief agency, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), informed that Guyana stands ready to lend technical and other forms of support.

With category-five winds and rain, Irma is one of the most powerful hurricanes every recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It has completely devastated Barbuda and also affected jurisdictions such as St. Maarten, St. Barts, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos and the British Virgin Islands.

The United States National Hurricane Centre predicted that Irma is likely to remain at category four or five for the next day or two while it passes to the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti as it heads in the direction of the Bahamasand Florida in the United States.