Americas Relief Team (ART) handed over 9 power generating units to Dominica Red Cross Thursday

​The Americas Relief Team (ART) on Thursday handed over to the Dominica Red Cross a donation of nine power generating units which will be deployed to various parts of the island for use by government and non-government agencies.
 
The donation by ART, an initiative of Outreach Aid to the Americas (OAA), is made possible through collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the One Caribbean Strong Program at the Miami Foundation and Express Cargo Inc.
 
The power generation units had been identified as priority requirements for Barbuda, Antigua’s sister island in the twin-island nation and for Dominica, which were ravaged in September by hurricanes Irma and Maria, respectively.
 
New information from power company, DOMLEC, reveals that 32,762 of its customers remain without power after the passage of Hurricane Maria. The company has a total of 35,606 customers and a total of 2,842, or 7.98 percent, have received power.
 
In Roseau, 1,350 customers have been connected to the grid while the number in Portsmouth stands at 1,492. The company’s infrastructure was severely damaged or destroyed by the hurricane. DOMLEC says all of its customers in Dominica, will have access to its grid to facilitate reconnection, by April 2018.
 
In handing over the power units to Kathleen Pinnard-Byrne, Director General of the Dominica Red Cross Society, OAA’s Director of Caricom Outreach, Wesley Kirton, said his organization is pleased to assist with the supply of electricity to key institutions such as the PHARCS Home for the elderly, the CHANCES- a home for homeless a