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CDERA In a show of solidarity with the people of the Caribbean, the Government of President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa has presented US$1 million in cash through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) for recovery in affected member states. High Commissioner to the Caribbean, Thanduyise Henry Chiliza, made the presentation to CDERA this morning in a ceremony attended by representatives of the Barbados and regional media. "It is our belief, as stated by President Thabo Mbeki to Heads of State in the Caribbean, that "no words nor actions" could adequately express our shock at the devastation brought about by Hurricanes Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. However, we as a nation are confident that our Brothers and Sisters in the Caribbean will rise even stronger from this trauma and expeditiously restore and reconstruct their lives, homes, and infrastructure," said the High Commissioner.
Coordinator of CDERA, Jeremy Collymore, said the donation may be seen as encouragement of the overwhelming Governmental and public support of the Caribbean Community to their affected neighbors, in spite of their challenging economic situations. "More importantly, this donation from the Government of South Africa must be seen beyond this event. It represents a real opportunity to cement the building blocks and advance our cooperation with counterparts in the South African Community. It also represents an opportunity to revisit south-south cooperation modalities and create more diversity in partnership mechanisms," Mr Collymore said. The Coordinator added that the money will be spent on aspects of recovery to be determined in immediate consultation with the Governments of the affected countries of Grenada, Jamaica, and The Bahamas. A percentage of the funds is also earmarked for Haiti as guided by the CARICOM Secretariat, said Mr Collymore. High Commissioner Chiliza said that this "humble contribution" is just the beginning of what he hopes will be a lasting relationship between African Brothers and Sisters in his country and in the Caribbean. He explained that money was the fastest method of providing assistance rather than materials due the distance to transport them from South Africa. He also said that his Government was speaking with the private sector in South Africa on what assistance they could provide. South Africa had received a specific request for assistance to get their electric supply restored to pre-hurricane levels as quickly as possible and this is presently being discussed by the power utility providers in South Africa. - end - NOTE: |
