IDB approves grants for Haiti

Radio Jamaica
Tuesday, 16 September 2008

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Tuesday approved grants amounting to $US400, 000 for Haiti which has declared a state of emergency after being devastated by a succession of storms, torrential rains and devastating floods.

The IDB said the aid would be delivered primarily to victims of Hurricane Gustav.

The assistance, which will be managed by Oxfam in coordination with the Haitian Interior Ministry, will be used to provide food, potable water, medicines and temporary shelter to people affected by the storms.

The IDB said it would be working closely with the Haitian government and the international donor community to provide additional resources and support to reconstruct or rehabilitate infrastructure damaged by the recent hurricanes.

Meanwhile, the Cuban government has said Hurricanes Gustav and Ike have between them inflicted the worst storm damage in Cuba's history.

The storms - which hit within two weeks of each other - have caused $5 billion worth of damage to, houses.

At least 200,000 Cubans lost their homes and crops have been destroyed.

Analysts say the impact of the storms will make it difficult for President Raul Castro to fulfill his pledge to improve living conditions in Cuba.

The Cuban sugar ministry had already reported that Hurricane Ike had destroyed 340,000 hectares of sugar cane - nearly half the annual crop.