#Nassau,
4 December, 2019 – The Bahamas – The Government of The Bahamas and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Governments of the United
States and the United Kingdom will stage a pledge conference on 13 January 2020
in Nassau to mobilize financial and technical support for recovery efforts in
The Bahamas, following the passage of Hurricane Dorian.
Dorian, a Category 5 hurricane
hit the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama in September 2019 and left widespread
devastation estimated at $3.4 billion, according to assessments conducted by
the Inter-American Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The pledge conference will be
held on New Providence and aims to galvanize support from the private sector,
high-net-worth individuals, other Governments and donors who have expressed
interest in assisting with the recovery.
The Bahamas Government’s
recovery priorities will be outlined during a press conference scheduled for 11
December.
“Parts of Abaco and Grand Bahama
were decimated by Hurricane Dorian. To date, the official death count stands at
70 with more missing. Thousands of residents have been displaced. We are a
resilient people and the Government of The Bahamas welcomes all initiatives
that will help us move along the path of recovery. Support from the private
sector and from persons who consider The Bahamas a second home will help to
augment our efforts to build back better and stronger and with more
resilience,” said Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis.
UNDP Resident Representative to
The Bahamas, Ms. Denise Antonio explained, “The high-income classification for
The Bahamas means that the Government will have to mobilize private sector or
other donor financing to pay for its short and medium-term recovery needs.”
She said the UNDP is committed
to supporting the Government of The Bahamas to mobilize recovery financing
because the country has limited access to overseas development assistance and
concessional financing due to its classification as a high-income country.
Companies and donors interested
in participating in the pledge conference can visit The Bahamas Chamber of
Commerce’s website at https://www.thebahamaschamber.com or the Government’s
website at www.bahamas.gov.bs to access registration information.
Release: Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Photo Credit: PBS