October 20, 2019 – FROM DISTRIBUTING CRITICALLY NEEDED EMERGENCY ITEMS TO PROVIDING CLEAN WATER TO CARING FOR INJURED AND SICK PATIENTS, OUR TEAMS ARE SERVING IN JESUS’ NAME.
Roland counted 15 dead bodies floating in the water the day
after Hurricane Dorian finally released the Abaco Islands from its deadly grip.
The storm completely flattened every home in Roland’s neighbourhood.
“Nothing is here. I have no place to live. I have no job,” he
said.
From Samaritan’s Purse website
The restaurant where Roland
worked is gone. The church where he leads Bible study and sometimes preaches is
barely standing.
During the storm, Roland and his
family took shelter at the church along with about 300 other people. But when
the roof started ripping off and the water was almost waist high, they knew
they were in trouble.
While the eye of the hurricane passed over, Roland and the group
at the church fled to a nearby government building. If they had not relocated
to a safer structure, Roland can’t bear to think of the likely outcome.
“God saved us. Only God saved us,” he said. “Some church members
died because they didn’t evacuate. Some members, we don’t even know where they
are.”
Samaritan’s Purse provided Roland
and the church, which is a community distribution centre, with emergency relief
items including hygiene kits, tarp, and solar lights. “Thank you for everything
you do for us,” Roland said. “It’s a blessing.”
Ongoing Commitment
Samaritan’s Purse continues to serve families in the Bahamas
more than one month after the Category 5 storm devastated the islands.
Our DC-8 cargo plane recently
made its 18th trip to the Bahamas, having now delivered a total of 360 tonnes
of critically needed emergency relief supplies. We are distributing heavy-duty
shelter material (tarp), hygiene kits, kitchen kits, generators, blankets,
jerry cans, and solar lights. We have also supplied more than 400,000 litres of
clean water.
In addition to ongoing distributions from our base at Marsh
Harbour in the Abacos, we are transporting emergency relief items by helicopter
to numerous remote communities.
From Samaritan’s Purse website
Recently, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers began working on
Man-O-War Cay, one of the hardest-hit areas on the Abacos. Volunteers are
covering roofs, clearing debris, and doing mud-outs at flooded homes.
Our Emergency Field Hospital also remains up and running in
Freeport as our team of medical specialists provides quality treatment,
including surgical care, for patients in desperate need. To date, we have seen
more than 5,200 patients since the hospital opened on 10 Sept.
Clean Water for Hurricane Survivors
About one hour from Marsh Harbour
is Coopers Town, where our team has set up a desalination unit for a community
that had already been weeks without clean water for drinking, bathing, cooking,
and washing clothes.
“We can’t do without the water. We need water for everything,”
said Adella, who came to our water site several times to fill up jerry cans.
Adella rode out Hurricane Dorian at a friend’s house and they
thought the terror would never cease. “The ceiling started to cave in, walls
were coming apart, sheetrock was falling. The storm kept going and going and
going,” she said.
On Grand Bahama Island, which lies 80-plus miles west of the
Abacos, Ken Barr-Smith also hunkered down at home. As mayor of West End, the
island’s capital, he didn’t want to leave behind elderly residents who weren’t
able to evacuate. “I was so afraid,” Ken said. “We didn’t realise what the
magnitude of the storm would be.”
Ken is grateful to Samaritan’s
Purse for providing water and bringing hope to his hometown. “This is a really
big help. We really appreciate it.”
Samaritan’s Purse set up our clean water tap stands on the
grounds of a local medical clinic in West End. The tap stands not only serve
residents, but also allowed the clinic to operate in the storm’s immediate
aftermath.
“West End is a close community. I get to know patients
personally,” said Dr. Alicia Genuino.
Dr. Alicia explained that many in West End were still trying to
recover from Hurricane Matthew three years ago when Dorian knocked them down
again. She said receiving water from Samaritan’s Purse is a huge encouragement
to this struggling community.
Hospital Patients Trust God
After Freeport’s main hospital was damaged during the hurricane,
we airlifted our Emergency Field Hospital at the request of the World Health
Organisation and the Bahamas government.
A stroke brought Zek, a local pastor, to our hospital by
ambulance as he was unable to speak or to walk. Our medical team ran tests,
provided medication, and worked with Zek and his wife Judy to figure out the
next steps for his recovery.
NOW ON CABLE BAHAMAS IN THE BAHAMAS
Judy explained that only the week before they had been fighting
for their lives during Hurricane Dorian. The couple, along with family members
and neighbours, tried to escape from their neighbourhood in the church bus.
“The water was so high the bus was starting to float, so we went
to a shelter and spent the night on the second floor. It was a long, long
night.”
When they returned home, Judy
realised they were facing a long road of recovery. “No one was safe,” she said.
“All the houses in our neighbourhood were damaged. My appliances were floating
in the water.”
But they aren’t giving up. Judy is trusting God that Zek will
recover and one day be able to preach again and to hold their newborn
granddaughter.
Carla, another patient, also arrived not long after our hospital
opened. Carla had stepped on a nail and her toe and foot were infected to the
point that she not only needed antibiotics, but also several surgeries. “The
nurses and doctors are amazing. They prayed with me and comforted me. They
encourage you in the Lord,” Carla said.
Carla arrived at the hospital so
dehydrated that our teams had to administer an IV before they could do surgery.
She had been without food or water for about two days while she was trapped in
her home during the hurricane.
Carla is grateful to God for saving her life and meeting her
physical and spiritual needs at the Samaritan’s Purse hospital.
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“Faith in Christ makes us strong,” she said. “You get through by
the grace of God.”
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#TheBahamas, May 26, 2022 – Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Hon. Clay Sweeting said The Bahamas has made great strides to work with CARICOM countries to enhance The Bahamas’ poultry industry.
Minister Sweeting traveled with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Hon I. Chester Cooper, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Leonardo Lightbourne, Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) Ambassador H.E. Winston Pinnock and other top tourism officials to the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo held in Guyana from May 18-20.
The event was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Center under the theme ‘Investing in Vision 25 by 2025’.
During the conference, Minister Sweeting met with several CARICOM leaders in Agriculture. He said he felt encouraged that the region would work together to reduce its food import bill and increase food security.
“In coming to Guyana, we wanted to explore opportunities and options, meet with other countries where we can work with other CARICOM leaders who also share the same focus as The Bahamas in developing their agricultural sector. We are trying to get to the point where we reduce imports by 25 percent by 2025. The Bahamas is a part of CARICOM and so we are committed to that and we’re looking for sectors to do that. We feel that poultry is one of the sectors that we can do that very quickly and microgreens through vertical farming,” he said.
Minister Sweeting added that many countries are merging their poultry sectors with other food items that they can export.
“As we look around, countries have done very well in the sector. We understand that Guyana is one of the countries that has done well in Agriculture especially in poultry and coconut production. So, it seems that many countries are merging the two industries,” he said. “That’s what seems to be happening across CARICOM. For persons that are interested in investing in Agriculture, other countries are finding ways to work together to fight food insecurity together and as a unit.
“We feel both are bankable products and we are exploring opportunities to garner attraction in both of those. We were able to visit the poultry farm here in Guyana – Bounty Farms – that has done a wonderful job and produce around 25,000 chickens per day, and we are looking to do something of that sort in The Bahamas as well. Once we create this poultry industry in The Bahamas, it would create opportunities for Bahamians, for farmers and persons who want to get involved in producing feed. So, it is a full circle industry where thousands of Bahamians could benefit.”
Minister Sweeting noted that countries like Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana are eager to assist The Bahamas.
“What is very interesting and exciting is that the Ministers from Guyana and Jamaica have expressed their assistance to us as a country. If we are looking at the poultry sector, they are looking to help us in any way that they can. The comradery that we have had here over the last few days speaks to what we want to do as a CARICOM country and how our deficiencies could assist them and where they have deficiencies, we can work together. The minister of tourism met with other ministers of tourism and offered them some advice on how they can work with their tourism product and where we lack in agriculture they can assist in that manner as well,” he said.
Minister Sweeting said the government will work towards changing policies to encourage chicken production.
“Chicken is something that we can produce very quickly once we have the right policy in place to protect the farmers, the producers and processors and create an industry. A chicken from egg to adult is very minimal time. We want to be very aggressive with this and as soon as we can create a proper policy in this sector, we want to make it happen,” he said.
Release: Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources
#TheBahamas, May 26, 2022 – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has released its Official List of Shelters for the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season which commences June 1 and ends November 30, 2022.
Weather forecasters at The Bahamas Department of Meteorology are predicting another above-average season with 19 named storms, including 9 hurricanes, four of which are expected to become major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher with maximum sustained winds of 111mph or higher) on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale.
There are two main drivers for this Season’s forecast: An El Nino weather event is not expected in the Pacific during the 2022 Hurricane Season, and water temperatures in the Atlantic are hotter than normal. When an El Nino forms in the Pacific, it produces strong wind-shear in the upper levels of the atmosphere across the Atlantic Ocean which limits the formation of hurricanes. Warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic, on the other hand, fuels the formation of hurricanes. With the absence of an El Nino, the 2022 Season is expected to be active.
The names of the 2022 Atlantic storm are as follows: Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Ian, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Martin, Nicole, Owen, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie, and Walter.
The National Emergency Management Agency urges all Bahamians and residents, who have not already done so, to finalize their individual, family and business plans ahead of the start of the Season. Those plans should include an Emergency Supplies/Preparedness Kit that should include a small First Aid Kit and needed medications, non-perishable food items, battery powered radios, flashlights, extra batteries, hygiene products, masks, whistles (for alerting others if necessary), copies of important documents such as insurance papers and identification (sealed), a list of emergency numbers, cash in small bills, rope, tools, and clothing.
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS 2022 OFFICIAL HURRICANE SHELTERS
(UPDATED AS AT 13 MAY, 2022)
ABACO, CENTRAL DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Central Abaco Primary School
Dundas Town
2.
Friendship Tabernacle
Dundas Town
3.
Guana Cay Primary School
Guana Cay
4.
Man-O-War Primary School
Man-O-War Cay
5.
Hope Town Primary School
Hope Town
ABACO, NORTH DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Amy Roberts Primary Pre-School
Green Turtle Cay
2.
Faithwalk Church of God, Community Centre
Cooper’s Town
3.
Grand Cay All Age School Pre-school Block
Grand Cay
ABACO, SOUTH DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Crossing Rocks Primary School
Crossing Rocks
2.
Moore’s Island School
Moore’s Island
3.
Sandy Point Community Centre
Earnest Dean Highway
4.
Soul Seeking Ministry
Moore’s Island
ACKLINS
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Acklins Community Centre
Spring Point
ANDROS, CENTRAL DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Bowen Sound Pentecostal Church
Bowen Sound
2.
Church of God
Cargill Creek
3.
Highway Church of God
Blanket Sound
4.
Miracle Revival International
Calabash Bay
5.
Mt. Ethel Baptist
Love Hill
6.
Mt. Siani Baptist Church
Calabash Bay
7.
St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church
Behring Point
8.
Stafford Creek Primary School
Stafford Creek
ANDROS, MANGROVE CAY DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Burnt Rock Primary
Burnt Rock
2.
Mangrove Cay High School
Swains, Mangrove Cay
3.
St. Peters Baptist Church
Little Harbour, Mangrove Cay
ANDROS, NORTH DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
B. A. Newton Primary School
Red Bays
2.
BARTAD Building
BARC Community
3.
Clara Evans Primary School
Nicholls Town
4.
Ebenezer Baptist Church
South Mastic Point
5.
First Baptist Church
San Andros
ANDROS, SOUTH DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Deep Creek Primary School
Deep Creek
2.
Friendship Baptist Church
The Bluff
3.
Long Bays Cay Preschool
Long Bay
4.
Mount Olive Baptist Church
Smith’s Hill
5.
St. Paul’s Baptist Church
Black Point
6.
The Doctor’s Residence (Special Needs Clinic)
The Bluff
BERRY ISLANDS, GREAT HARBOUR CAY
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Church of God of Prophecy
Great Harbour Cay
2.
Community Centre
Bullocks Harbour
BIMINI
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Gateway Gymnasium
Bailey Town
2.
Louise McDonald High School
Alice Town
3.
Urban Renewal (Special Needs Shelter)
Alice Town
CAT ISLAND
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Lovely Zion Baptist Church
The Bluff
2.
Mt. Sinai Baptist Church
Douds
3.
Seaview Seventh Day Adventist Church
Wilson Bay
4.
St. Andrew’s Anglican Church
Arthur’s Town
5.
St. Mark’s Anglican Church
Port Howe
6.
Zion Baptist Church
McQueen’s
CROOKED ISLAND & LONG CAY
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
All Saints Anglican Church, Priest Residence
(Colonel Hill and Church Grove Residents)
Church Grove, Crooked Island
2.
Church of God of Prophecy
(Landrail Point, Richmond, Moss Town and Cripple Hill Residents)
Cripple Hill, Crooked Island
3.
Command Centre
Administrator’s Residence/Local Government Building
Colonel Hill, Crooked Island
4.
Kenneth Farquharson’s Residence
(Long Cay Residents)
Albert Town, Long Cay
ELEUTHERA, CENTRAL DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Camp Symonette
James Cistern, Gregory Town
2.
Church of The Nazarene
Palmetto Point
3.
Emily G. Petty Primary School
Governor’s Harbour
4.
George E. Johnson
Hatchet Bay
5.
The Salvation Army
Palmetto Point
6.
Wesley Methodist Church Hall
Palmetto Point
ELEUTHERA, NORTH DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Charles Wesley Methodist Church
Lower Bogue
2.
Mission Church of God
Upper Bogue
3.
New Jerusalem Church
Blackwood
4.
The Current Community Centre
The Current
5.
The Haitian Baptist People Church
The Bluff
6.
Zion Methodist Church
Current Island
ELEUTHERA, SOUTH DISTRICT
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Church of God of Prophecy
Tarpum Bay
2.
Deep Creek Primary School
Deep Creek
3.
Green Castle Primary School
Green Castle
4.
Rock Sound Primary School
Rock Sound
5.
Wemyss Bight Primary School
Wemyss Bight
EXUMA
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Bethel Union Baptist Church
Ramsey
2.
Calvary Mission Baptist Church
Rolleville
3.
Ebenezer Union Baptist Church
Farmer’s Hill
4.
Ebenezer Union Baptist Church
Barraterre
5.
Exuma Resource Centre
Hoopers’ Bay
6.
Gethsemane Baptist Church
Black Point
7.
Mt. Herman Union Baptist Church
Mt. Thompson
8.
Mt. Sinai Union Baptist Church
Stuart Manor
9.
Palestine Union Baptist Church
The Forest
10.
St. Andrew’s Community Centre
George Town
11.
St. Luke’s Baptist Church and/or Airport Terminal
Black Point
12.
St. Margaret’s Anglican Church
Harts/Steventon
13.
St. Mary’s Magdalene Anglican Church
Williams Town
14.
St. Matthew’s Union Baptist Church
The Ferry
15.
St. Theresa’s Catholic Church
George Town
GRAND BAHAMA
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Bethany Baptist Church
Hanna Hill, Eight Mile Rock
2.
Bethel Baptist Church
Pinedale
3.
Bethel Deliverance Centre
Jones Town, Eight Mile Rock
4.
Bishop Michael Eldon School/Auditorium
East Beachway Drive, Freeport
5.
Calvary Temple Small Chapel
Clive Avenue, Freeport
6.
Central Zion Baptist Church
Eight Mile Rock
7.
Church of God of Prophecy
Pinedale
8.
Church of the Ascension
Arden Forest Road, Freeport
9.
Community Holiness Church
Martin Town
10.
Eight Mile Rock Gymnasium
Eight Mile Rock
11.
Eight Mile Rock High School
Eight Mile Rock
12.
First Baptist Church
Columbus Drive, Freeport
13.
Foster B. Pestina Hall (Christ the King) (Special Needs Shelter)
East Atlantic Drive, Freeport
14.
Maurice Moore Primary School
Sandcombe Drive, Arden Forest, Freeport
15.
Mount Calvary Baptist Educational Building
Seagrape
16.
New Olivet Baptist Church
Holmes Rock
17.
St. George’s Gymnasium
Sunset Highway, Freeport
18.
Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist Church
Sandcombe Drive, Freeport
HARBOUR ISLAND
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Harbour Island Public Library
Harbour Island
2.
Lighthouse Church of God
Harbour Island
3.
New Alliance Church of God
Harbour Island
INAGUA
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
New Life Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Matthew Town
2.
St. Phillips Anglican Community Centre
Matthew Town
3.
Zion Baptist Church
Matthew Town
LONG ISLAND
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Assemblies of God
Salt Pond
2.
Community Centre
Clarence Town
3.
Highway Church of God
Doctors Creek
4.
Holy Cross Anglican Church
Hamiltons
5.
Holy Family Anglican Church
Mortimers
6.
Salem Baptist Church
Millers
7.
St. John’s Anglican Church
Buckleys
8.
Seymour’s Gospel Chapel
Seymour’s
MAYAGUANA
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
St. James Native Baptist Church
Abraham’s Bay
2.
Betsy Bay Community Centre
Betsy Bay
3.
Mayaguana Comprehensive K- School
Pirate’s Well
NEW PROVIDENCE
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Agape Full Gospel Baptist Church
Kennedy Subdivision
2.
Berea Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Baillou Hill Road South
3.
Canon Neil E. Roach Hall, Holy Cross Anglican Church
Highbury Park
4.
Church of God Convention Centre (for use by SRC)
Joe Farrington Road
5.
Ebenezer Mission Baptist Evangelistic Church
St. Charles Vincent Street
6.
Epworth Hall, Ebenezer Methodist Church
(for use by Homeless and People with Physical Disabilities)
Shirley Street
7.
Grants Town Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Wellington Street
8.
Hillview Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Tonique Williams Darling Highway
9.
Maranatha Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Prince Charles Drive
10.
New Bethlehem Baptist Church
Independence Drive
11.
New Dimensions Ministries
Joe Farrington Road
12.
New Providence Community Centre
Blake Road
13.
Pilgrim Baptist Temple
St. James Road
14.
St. Barnabas Anglican Church
Wulff Road and Baillou Road
15.
Rev. Dr. O. A. Pratt Educational Building,
St. John’s Native Baptist Church
Augusta and Meeting Streets
16.
Samuel and Cornella Williams Community Centre,
The Salvation Army
Meadow Street
17.
Southwest Cathedral Church of God
Carmichael Road
18.
The Anglican Church of the Epiphany
Prince Charles Drive
19.
The Salvation Army
Mackey Street
RAGGED ISLAND
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Holy Innocents Anglican Church
Duncan Town
SAN SALVADOR AND RUM CAY
NO.
NAME OF SHELTER
ADDRESS
1.
Fellowship in Christ Kingdom Ministry
Cockburn Town
2.
Grace Research Center
United Estates Settlement
3.
Idell Jones Community Hall, St. Augustine Church Hall
Cockburn Town
4.
St. Christopher Anglican Church
Port Nelson, Rum Cay
5.
St. James Native Baptist Church
North Victoria Hill
6.
St. John’s Native Baptist Church
United Estates
@ 9 May, 2022 DOSS, Disaster Management Unit
PLEASE NOT THAT THIS LIST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE; IF NECESSARY
#TheBahamas, May 26, 2022 – Minister of Health & Wellness, the Honourable Dr. Michael R. Darville confirmed that there has been an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases in particular in New Providence over the past three (3) weeks. The Minister added that samples to test for the Omicron BA.2. Variant were collected and sent for genome mapping.
The Disease Surveillance Unit he said has turned specific focus on schools in the country as cases continue to rise. “This Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Education & Technical & Vocational Training as well as with the unions”, Minister Darville said, “…on ways to mitigate the potential spread in our schools so that we do not disadvantage our children from getting access to education.”
He noted the increase in hospital cases was not directly related to COVID-19 but associated with complications from Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCD’s). The Health Minister described it as a “common occurrence in countries battling CNCD’s because the pandemic pushed these comorbidities to the back burner as it relates to usual care”. Hospital officials are working assiduously he said, to address bed spaces to accommodate a surplus in admission cases.
Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) Managing Director Aubynette Rolle added that the number of positive cases are being recorded at the hospital because testing for the virus is a prerequisite for admission. Much of it, MD Rolle said, falls into the category of a secondary diagnosis. She echoed a previous statement by Health Minister Darville who confirmed that there is no cause for alarm when it comes to adequate supplies of medicine.
Bahamians and residents are urged to continue to follow the COVID-19 safety protocols which help to limit the spread of the virus. Persons can also guard themselves from severe COVID-19 infection by getting the COVID-19 vaccine, 1st and 2nd boosters and extended series doses for persons who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. Appointments can be made online at vax.gov.bs or walk-ins are welcomed at vaccination sites. Persons with mobility challenges may request a home visit by emailing vax242.mobile@gmail.com.
The public is encouraged to access community clinics for primary and urgent care and the Princess Margaret Hospital Emergency Department for emergency care only. The hours of operation for the New Providence Polyclinics are:
Elizabeth Estates Clinic: 9:00a.m. – 9:00p.m., Mondays – Fridays