|
Good afternoon,
As you are aware, Grenada was the first island in the Caribbean to suffer devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan, enduring a direct hit by this ferocious Category 4 storm, with the eye passing directly over the capital city of St. George’s and the southern side of the island. Grenada suffered severe damage. Hurricane Ivan claimed the lives of 40 Grenadians, damaged 90 percent of the homes, as well as public buildings and schools, and brought domestic power supplies, telecommunication systems and other infrastructure to a grinding halt. It was the first major hurricane the island has seen since Hurricane Janet back in 1955, which didn’t cause nearly as much destruction and hardship. The effects of Hurricane Ivan have taken an overwhelming toll on the people of Grenada. But, rest assured, that while the hurricane may have destroyed our homes, our public buildings and inconvenienced our way of life, it has not flattened our spirit. The people of Grenada are extremely resilient and are already on the road to recovery. With the assistance of countries and donor agencies from around the world, Grenadians are committed to restoring the nation back to its former glory. I am pleased to report to you today that conditions, while far from being what they were prior to the storm, continue to improve everyday as life slowly returns to normal. Water and electricity services are almost fully restored to the capital and we continue to work to insure that the other five parishes including Saint David, Saint Patrick, Saint Andrew, Saint John and Saint Mark are on line as quickly as possible. Most of the major roads in Grenada have been cleared of debris and are again open to traffic. Several private schools have reopened, while others hope to open by mid-October, and commerce has restarted with many banks, supermarkets, shops and gas stations now open for business. Every effort is being made to ensure that food supplies and other necessities reach all Grenadians. The National Emergency Relief Organization is now decentralizing the distribution to every parish and so far over 60,000 people have received food and tarpaulins. Likewise for the healthcare system in Grenada, where PAHO/WHO and the Red Cross are playing a dynamic role in assisting the Ministry of Health with any health-related situations. The General Hospital is in full operation. A National Clean-up Campaign has been initiated by the government, whereby on a weekly basis, teams are sent from village to village to assess and assist in clean-up efforts. In general, I am proud to report that the Grenadian people are steadfast in their commitment to work together as a unified body to reclaim that which Mother Nature has taken. From the tourism perspective, while it will take some time to fully recover, there is progress being made. Point Salines International Airport is open for daily operations to both regional and international flights between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. BWIA is offering flights from New York and Miami via its Trinidad hub while Air Jamaica has resumed all flights via its Montego Bay hub and its Tuesday, Friday and Sunday non-stop service from JFK/New York. American Airlines is operating a daily flight via San Juan while LIAT is operating four daily scheduled flights to Grenada. Caribbean Star has also resumed service to Grenada. Even the cruise sector is seeing real progress. The port is now operational and several cruise lines expect to begin calls in October. On the hotel front, Bel Air Plantation, True Blue Bay Resort, Monmot Hotel and Mariposa Hotel sustained minor damage and are already fully operational and accepting guests. The Calabash Hotel, which also suffered minimal damage, expects to reopen by October 30th, while Laluna is planning for a November 25th reopening. Both the Rex Grenadian and Flamboyant Hotel report that they will have rooms available before the end of the year. Blue Horizons Garden Resort expects to reopen within four months while Spice Island Beach Resort, which suffered severe damage, will be closed for one year. LaSource sustained no major structural damage but is currently closed for visiting guests. Hotels have been granted 100 percent concessions for refurbishment and repairs. The Levera Beach project, a multi-million dollar resort project at Levera Beach, which has been in the works for several years, has been overtaken by Canadian developers who will resume work shortly. Farmers and fishermen were the hardest hit because their livelihoods were destroyed. However, the FAO and Taiwan are currently working with the Government of Grenada to assess the situation and help resuscitate agriculture. While the task of fully reconstructing Grenada will take considerable time and effort, I am completely confident that we will reemerge even better than before, because the soul of our great nation remains undamaged. As the rebuilding process unfolds, we pledge to keep you informed of our progress. As new information becomes available, it will continue to be immediately posted on the website, www.grenadaemergency.com, the official website of the Grenada Embassy and Grenadian Consulates, in conjunction with the Grenada Board of Tourism's US Representatives. Again, let me close with my sincerest appreciation for the members of the CTO for all your assistance during these trying times. I empathize with all of you who were also affected. Thank you for your time. |
