China helping hurricane-hit Dominica rebuild

World
Europe

‍Out of the glare of the international spotlight, the Caribbean island of Dominica is continuing the long and arduous process of rebuilding after the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in September.

China has been leading the way in providing assistance for post-disaster restoration, with the government of Dominica announcing in early November that a “generous allocation” of 14 million US dollars had been provided by Beijing. That is in addition to 3.8 million US dollars in earlier emergency funding.

“Minister for Foreign Affairs Francine Baron has applauded the contribution of the People’s Republic of China as yet another example of its commitment to South-South Cooperation and an indication of the strong ties of friendship existing between the People’s Republic of China and the Commonwealth of Dominica,” an official statement said.

It is the largest single bilateral donation publicly announced to date and Dominica, a 750-square kilometer nation of 72,000 people, will need much more like that, as unlike several of the Caribbean nations manhandled by hurricanes in September, it has no mother country standing by.

St. Maarten, for example, is part of the Dutch kingdom and Puerto Rico, the focus of much of American and international media attention, is officially a United States territory.

Chinese President Xi Jinping with Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit at a summit with Caribbean leaders in 2013. /Xinhua photo

“Despite the massive devastation and needs left in Hurricane Maria’s wake, the world has largely moved on, with the conditions in Dominica barely breaking into the news cycle,” said an update published on November 3 by the International Medical Corps which is on the island working with health clinics to help them care for patients.

In a statement released last week, the World Bank said that a preliminary study by a joint team from the Bank, the United Nations, the European Union and other agencies estimates that Maria brought damage and losses of 200 percent of Dominica’s annual GDP, equivalent to 1.3 billion US dollars.

Public infrastructure, electricity and telecom networks, housing, 80 percent of which was damaged or destroyed, and agriculture suffered the most.

“In the face of a disaster such as the one faced by Dominica where every small town, every street, every person has been affected, recovery requires support from all partners for reconstruction and resilience,” said World Bank Vice President Jorge Familiar.

The Bank said it is preparing a financial package of over 100 million US dollars for Dominica to provide immediate support to farmers, rebuild resilient public infrastructure, strengthen resilience, and help create financial buffers.

Dominicans still found time to mark the country's 39th anniversary of independence from Britain at the weekend with a cultural and military ceremony at the national stadium, another gift from China. In his speech, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit restated his pledge to make Dominica the first climate-resilient country in the world.

“We will redesign, reconfigure and reprogram the systems and procedures that underpin economic and social activity so that the impact of any disaster on you and me is considerably lessened, and the time taken for life to return to normal significantly reduced,” he said.

UN Secretary General António Guterres visited Dominica in October. /Video still photo

The prime minister faces an unenviable task in rallying his battered countrymen.

“It feels like Dominica is finished,” resident Guadiosa Ytac, 49, told The Guardian newspaper last week. “The recovery feels so slow, and the days and nights are so long."

“I received a solar lamp recently, which has been a godsend as it gets dark by 5:30 pm. I’ve been told there will be no electricity until next year. There is no post, barely any internet and the phone lines don’t work properly, which makes me feel trapped here.”

But not everyone is expressing pessimism. In response to queries as to whether this year’s independence celebrations should even have been held, one contributor to a local news website said, “Even during these hard times, we still have to pick ourselves up and celebrate… Celebrate life, celebrate that we still have our health, we still have loved ones and yes, we still have our independence."

The International Medical Corps also says that despite the immeasurable loss families across Dominica are facing, it “has been struck by the resilience and strength" of residents.

For many Dominicans, having just reached 39, it may just feel that life for them will really begin at 40.