Lending A Helping Hand

The islands of the Caribbean have much in common when it comes to vulnerability on every hand and more and more it is becoming obvious that they must be prepared to lend a helping hand to each other in times of difficulty.

No other time is this help appears to be more needed than when disaster strikes. Take Montserrat for example where a prolonged series of volcanic eruptions not only made wasteland of huge portions of the island, but drove many of its nationals from its shores. It was the good neighbourliness of islands like Antigua, Anguilla and others that provided accommodation and other forms of assistance for the Montserratians in their distress. Anguilla itself, which lies in the path of hurricanes, has had its full share of this type of disaster and has benefited from the assistance of others in the region. Our people can say with much conviction: “who feels it knows it.”

The hurricane disaster experience has been of such over the years that it forced Anguillians to construct stronger homes and other buildings in an effort to withstand the fury of some of the massive weather systems to assault the region. Yet still the island remains acutely vulnerable taking into consideration the dangerous flood waters of Hurricane Lenny in 1999 which threatened to drown a number of persons in their homes; and the ever-present threat posed to the tourism industry which is the main engine of economic growth on the island.

It is only sheer luck, and of course divine providence, that Anguilla has so far been spared the onslaught that Grenada, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Florida have experienced from the recent hurricanes. Although we are in the month of September, at the height of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, we are still not out of the woods as the storms can still develop elsewhere in the Caribbean Sea in November (as was the case with Lenny). Judging from our experience in the 1950s, storms can even strike in the month of January!

The Anguillian would like to commend the Government and the various businesses, organisations and individuals for their willingness and quick response to help our suffering brothers and sisters in Grenada. It is always a great pleasure to freely give, not only because one hopes to receive in turn, but because it is the right and Christian thing to do. It is, as the Bible says, loving your neighbour as yourself.

The Caribbean region needs to come together to devise an action plan whereby all of the territories can pool their resources to assist each other when calamities of every description strike. It may be better that way than to wait for a situation to occur when everybody acts out of a state of frenzy and there is a lack of proper response and coordination.
The meeting of CARICOM Heads of Governments in Trinidad, called by the Prime Minister of Guyana to discuss hurricanes affecting the region, may be a step in the right direction and can produce some positive and workable initiatives. While it is true that some welcome assistance may be forthcoming from international Governments and agencies, the Caribbean islands must learn to see about themselves when it comes to matters like disaster management, relief and recovery. We must practice good neighbourliness and be prepared to lend a helping hand to each other as quickly and liberally as possible.