#TheBahamas – January 14, 2019 — Governments, NGOs, multilateral institutions, companies and individuals pledged $1.5 billion in recovery funding and in-kind services on Monday at the Hurricane Dorian Private Sector Pledging Conference.
More
than 300 local and international delegates attended the conference at Baha Mar.
The
pledging section of the conference occurred during the afternoon session. It
was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Peter
Turnquest.
The
pledges included initiatives in homebuilding and repair; educational
assistance; renewable energy partnerships; relief aid; grants; direct
assistance to storm victims; parks restoration; loans and financing.
“These
pledges are an important step in the ongoing reconstruction and rebuilding of
areas affected by Hurricane Dorian, so that we may rebuild stronger and with more
resilience,” said Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis.
“We
are grateful to domestic and international partners, including foreign
governments. We look forward to other possible contributions to help in our
recovery efforts.”
As a
follow up to the conference the UNDP and the Government will issue a detailed
account of the commitments made disaggregated by sectors and stakeholders.
Hurricane Dorian hit Abaco and Grand
Bahama in September 2019. With maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, and
gusts of 220 miles per hour, Dorian was the strongest storm to hit The Bahamas.
It was also the second strongest storm by wind speed recorded in the Atlantic.
There have been 70 confirmed deaths as
a result of Hurricane Dorian.
“We thank the donors who pledged at
Monday’s conference for their support of the restoration of Abaco and Grand
Bahama,” said Katherine Forbes-Smith, Managing Director of the Bahamas Disaster
Reconstruction Authority.
“The Authority, as the agency
charged with spearheading the reconstruction effort, will work with these local
and international partners to ensure that Abaco and Grand Bahama are rebuilt
better and stronger.
“Through these partnerships and
assistance we also hope to boost both economies and build back with new,
greener technology and resiliency.”
It is estimated that Hurricane Dorian caused $3.4 billion in losses and damage in The Bahamas.
PRESS RELEASE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE BAHAMAS, JAN 13, 2020