ReliefWeb

15/03/2013 - Almost five months after Hurricane Sandy devastated the Caribbean and North America, the EU has increased its aid to the victims of the disaster in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica by giving €1,5 million for further relief.

This new funding comes in addition to the €10 million mobilised in 2012 to provide emergency assistance to the Caribbean countries most affected, Haiti (€6 million) and Cuba (€4 million). Provided from the reserve for humanitarian aid of the European Development Fund (EDF), these funds will be managed by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department ECHO. In the Dominican Republic, almost 40 000 hurricane victims will benefit from an aid package of €1 million. ECHO’s partner organisations, namely the Spanish Red Cross and Oxfam, will focus on restoring damaged housing, improving access to drinking water, raising public awareness about the prevention of water-related diseases (dengue fever, cholera and leptospirosis) and helping the people most affected to regain their livelihoods.

Jamaica will receive €0.5 million in aid, which will fund the operations of the French Red Cross aimed at repairing damaged homes, helping victims overcoming their losses and aid them in regaining their livelihoods. Hurricane Sandy began its destructive journey on 24 October 2012 and hit Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas before reaching the United States. In the hurricane’s path, 190 people were killed, harvests and crops were destroyed, sparking fears of food shortages, while the infrastructure was devastated in many regions.