EU pledges €300-million to support the Recovery and Resilience efforts within the Caribbean Region

​The EU has pledged €300-million to support Recovery & Resilience efforts taking place in the Caribbean Region. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to support the region after recent hurricanes Irma & Maria, during the CARICOM High-level Donor Conference on the Caribbean, just held in New York on November 20th & 21st 2017.
 
During the conference yesterday, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, made the €300 million pledge for development support to the Caribbean, on behalf of the EU, in the wake of Irma & Maria.
 
About one third of the amount, will be new grant resources for the countries of the region. Commissioner Mimica said: “Caribbean countries have again been struck by deadly hurricanes. The EU stands by the region, and our assistance package of €300 million will provide needed support to accelerate recovery, strengthen resilience, and step up progress, towards a sustainable economic path. The EU is supporting the region to reinforce its resilience to natural disasters and climate change.”
 
While some of the funds will be used to cover humanitarian gaps in Dominica, St Kitts & Nevis, and Cuba, most of it will provide support for medium-term reconstruction & rehabilitation efforts at national level in Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts & Nevis, Cuba and Overseas Countries & Territories (OCTs). The EU funds will help build longer term resilience, at the regional level, by increasing the region’s disaster preparedness, & its ability to adapt to climate change.