DLP Government now says damages from Hurricane Maria have been determined to be about EC $3.5 Billion

​Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit noted that the figures calculated for the loss and damages suffered after Hurricane Maria amounted to EC$3.5 Billion.
 
The Prime Minister noted that he had three components in the works to help with this process of getting Dominica back on track; including relief, early recovery, and building a resilient nation.
 
“We knew there would be elements of each of these components overlapping, at any one point in time, but the first phase was to be concentrated on relief,” the Prime Minister said.
 
“The second phase would have continued relief efforts, but there would be an increasing shift in focus, to early recovery and planning for the third phase.”
 
“The third and last phase would be executing a substantial climate resilient building programme. We knew that relief would be a complicated co-ordination process, given the large number of agencies and ministries involved”.
 
He went on to say that, before Maria, Dominica’s ports handled on average 80 containers a week, after Maria, that number has now escalated to over 300 containers a week”.
 
The Prime Minister said, approximately EC$141.5 Million has been approved for various aspects of relief and early recovery components, including, establishing access to communities, the provision of food, water, shelter and other basic needs.