Source: http://www.klassicgrenada.com/index.pl/article?id=1359020

Grenada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruth Rouse believes there is a need for the creation of a disaster fund in the Caribbean which should be funded by the people of the Caribbean.

Ambassador Rouse was speaking following Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell’s representation of the entire Caricom body to the official launch of the Central Emergency Response Fund at the United Nations last week.

She says Caribbean people and the Caribbean Diaspora in New York should give serious thought to such a fund, since the region is increasingly becoming vulnerable to natural disasters.

Countries in the region stand to benefit from the landmark US$500 million fund launched by the United Nations.

The Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) is designed to jump start relief operations in future natural and man made disasters and save thousands of olives that would otherwise be lost to delay under the current under-funded mechanism.

Ambassador Ruth Rouse believes if such a fund was in operation when Grenada was struck by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, it would have been easier for the UN agencies to begin their work of helping the country in its reconstruction process.