Government Pledges Assistance to Victims of Floods in the Caribbean

The Government has today pledged up to €100,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance in response to flooding and storms in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Torrential rains on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic) have caused widespread devastation. Homes have been swept away and transport and power lines cut. Announcing the assistance Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Tom Kitt T.D., said: “Reports are still coming in regarding casualty figures from the disaster. It appears that more than 500 people have perished and there are still many families listed as being missing. More than 13,000 people have lost their homes. The local authorities in the region are working closely with United Nations humanitarian agencies in the rescue effort.” The funding announced today comes on top of the €500,000 already provided by the Government to assist innocent victims of the civil conflict which occurred in Haiti last March. Top