CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean – has made donations to Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to address the effects of Hurricane Beryl.
Through letters addressed to the Prime Ministers of Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, CAF’s Executive President, Sergio Díaz-Granados, expressed the Institution’s solidarity with those affected by the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl and announced the immediate delivery of donations intended for humanitarian aid as well as emergency assistance to affected communities.
The donations were distributed as follows: USD $250,000 for Jamaica; USD $250,000 for Barbados, which are existing shareholder countries of CAF; USD $100,000 for Grenada, which is in the process of becoming a shareholder; USD $100,000 for Saint Lucia; and USD $100,000 for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
This contribution complements the support offered by other financial institutions assisting the region during this challenging time.
“I wish to express our deepest solidarity with the peoples of Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We recognize the swift actions taken by those governments to support the communities that felt the full brunt of hurricane Beryl and we commend the citizens for their resilience in the face of adversity. We believe that by working together, CAF can help to bolster the recovery efforts of the governments and their respective populations,” stated Díaz-Granados.
With these donations, CAF hopes to contribute to the humanitarian assistance needed during a critical period in the immediate aftermath of a very powerful and destructive hurricane. The grant will serve to address this emergency through the designated Ministries and official governmental channels in the five Caribbean countries.
CAF recognizes the urgent need to support disaster mitigation programs and innovative financial instruments to help Caribbean countries confront the climate crisis. Latin America and the Caribbean contribute less than 10% to the global greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Caribbean continues to be one of the regions in the world that is most vulnerable to extreme climate events.
It is essential that we elevate global awareness about vulnerability to climate change in the Caribbean and take decisive action to tackle its effects with an emphasis on policies and investments in climate change adaptation, as well as risk management tools. CAF will continue to work closely with international partners to gather data, produce specialized knowledge, innovate, and offer financial solutions to strengthen resilience in the Caribbean.
As an agile development partner and a home-grown multilateral development bank mandated to support regional integration and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean, CAF reaffirms its commitment to the recovery and resilience of the region.
