A/44/PV.31 General Assembly

156.  EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO ANTIGUA AND BARBtJDA, '!'HE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS, DOMINICA,· MON'l'SERRAT AND SAINT KI'l"l'S AND NEVIS; draft resolution A/44/Lo 3 The PRESIDJiNT: I call on the representative of Trinidad and Tobago, who will introduce draft resolution A/44/t.3. Jtrs. THORPE (Trinidad and Tobaqo): On 16 Septerrber 1989 the Caribbean nations of Antiqua and Barbuda, the 'British Virqin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis were all struck by hurricane HUQo. Fortunately, the lOBS of life was mercifully low. However, mass~.ve destruction was inflicted on homes and other buildinqs, aqricultural croPS and servl ~s such as electricity and water. In its wake the hurricane left several hundred families homeless, and severely damaqed schools, hospitals and other health facilities. Electricity, water and telecomlrllnications were extremely hard hit and are still in a state of disruption. The damaqe to crops such as bananas and sugar cane and to the fishinq industry is particularly severe. A larqe seqment of the work force depends Q'l these sectors for their livelihood. It has been estimated by the five Governments that the overall cost of the (The President) d~maqe ~0 both pu!:";Uc and private sectors is 1."1 the reqioo of $500 million, a sum th~t rQ~ ,xceeds the annual export earnings of Antigua and 8arbuda, the British Virq!n Xc ands, Dominica, Montserrat and Saint Ritts and Nevis combined. It X \]~ 1 to presE'..nt for consideration and unan imous adoption by the Assemlv the draft It:C2\ ..ution A/441t.3, entitled "Emerqencv assistance to Antiqua and Barbuda, the BrH:iicl Virqin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis", on behalf!: oi!:c:he followinq deleqaUons: Antiqua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados/1 BeUzeD ~c oubis, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, GUYM~D mc ti, Honduras, Jamaica, Malta, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nicaraqua, Peru D tho hiUppines o Portuqal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent. and the ~L> nadines, Singapore, Suriname, the United Kinqdom of Great Britain and Northeril It: 'eland, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela and my own deleqation, Trinidad and ·rob~qo. In ~tiC' preaD'.Dular section the General Assembly recoqnizes the destruction wrouqht b'),? Llurricance Hugo and the efforts of the GO'ITernments and peoples of AlltiqUGl @L1;e 8arouda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat and Saint Ritts ooa U~vis to alleviate the sufferinq of ita V!CtilllS. It: also recoqnb:es t.'l1e pro~t lCG8\:)nSe by Governments, inter,national aqencies, ~on-qo..,ernmental orqanbGl~k.}s and J)ri'Y'ate individuals to provide emerqency relief. It further notes ~Q ['lgnitude of the disfllS ter and that. its lonq-term effects will require, as a complelll18j,) to the efforts beil\1 made by the countries affected ~ a delOOns tration of inteR:n@~~'~nal solidarity and hUYI".anitar lan concern to ensure mUltilateral CO-OpelCGltlj.:~T in order to meat the immediate emerqenCV situation in the affected areas ~ tJQ') 1 as to carry out reconstruction. ne. Lohia (Papua New Guinea), Vice-President, took the Chair. (Mrs. TJ!.orpe, Trinidad and Tobaqo) In the operative paraqraphs the General AssemblV expresses its solidarity with and support for the Governments and peoples of Antiqua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, ~ontserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis. It also eKPrGGI:H!S its apl)reciation to States, international aqencies and non-qovernmental orqanizations providinq emerqency relief, calls upon all States to contribute generously to the relief and reconstructi.on efforts and requests the Secretary- General. in collaboratioo with the international financial institutions and the United Nations system, to assist the Governments of the affected countries in identifyinq emergency rnediu~ and lonq-t~rm needs and in mobilizinQ resources. It is our collective hope that the AssenDly will be able to adopt by consensus the draft resolution before it. Hr. ARROSPIDE (Peru) (interpretation from Spanish): On behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, I should like to inform the AssemblV that since 6 October the draft resolution on emerqenCV ass istance to AntiQua and Darbuda, the British Virqin Islanos, Dominica. Montserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis has enjoyed the support of each and every memer of the qroup. This is an e8i:nest qesture of the solidarity of the members of our qrou;) with people in emerQency situations. We recommend that the draft resolution be adOPted by consensus. Mr. STANISLA(S (Grenada): On behalf of the Government of Grenada I wish to speak a few words in support of draft resolution A/44/L.3, entitled "Emerqency assi.stance to the peo~les of Antigua and earbuda, the British Virqin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis"~ introduced by the Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobaqo. The Government and people of Grenada express solidarity and e~athy with the peoples of Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virqin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, which have suffered loss of life and tremendous less of property throuqh the fury of hurricane Huqo~ (Mrs. Thorpe, Trinidad and TobaQo) The history, the qeoqraphy and the denDqraphy of our Caribbean reqion is such that when one island State hurts, all Member States feel the pain; when one Manber State is helped or exalted, all rejoice. It is in this spirit therefore and with this in mind that I express the heartfelt thanks of the Government and people of the affected island States to those countries represented here at the United Nations, to the aqencies and individuals who have resJ)Onded so readily and so generously to the pliqht of our sister islands, some of which have been literally destroyed. Additionally, profound qratitude is expressed to the Secretary-General and the United Nations, particularly the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator and the United Nations Development Proqranune, wh iOO have been so helpful, especially durinq the days immediately followinq the hurricane. The peoples of the Caribbean recoqnize that much of the recovery effort from this disaster is their OWli reSpOnsibility. Therefore my country, Grenada, within the constraints of its limited resources, has already sent medical manpower, medicine and other mater lal to the affected islands. However, the clStomary Support and assistance from a qenerous and carina international community will brinq additional material help and comfort to a qallant people in their present travail. It is for this reason that an uraent appeal is made to all Member states not only to support the resolution presented today but also to participate fully in the United Nations pledging conference to be held here at Headquarters in the very near future. Finally, as a people of faith and couraqe, we accept this natural disaster, OVeI:' which we have no control, realistically and ohilosophicallv as we recall these Q)mtorting words: lilt is aI'i ill wind indeed that blows no one some Qood". (Hr. Stanislaus, Grenada) Purthermore, we believe that just as nature never bestows it.s benevolence without exaetinq a price, equally so is the converse t.rue. Dame Ruth Nita BARR(M (Barbados): As one of the sponsorinq Governments~ I speak in support of the resoluten introduced by Her Excellency the Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobaqo. She has spoken feelinqly about hurricane }lUqO as has our previous speaker. We know of no means to prevent a hurricane. No action may be taken to avoid its deadly and disastrous forces~ One my be an attempt to protect oneself aqainst its effects as best. one may. Countries like ours which, due to their qeoqraphical location and throuqh no faUlt of their own, are devastated by a hurricane deserve all form and kinds of assistance which nay be delivered. Last month hurricane HUqo, the latest hurricane, swept throuqh the Caribbean leaving in its wake death and destruction, as members have read and seen on television. CARtooM countries under the aeqis of CARI<X>M - the Caribbean community - have co-ordinated and launched a relief effort for the sister countries which were afflicted and in one case, as we know, co!\1)letely devasted by hurricane Hugo. Barbados pledqes to continue its assistance for as 10nQ as it is needed. However, in the Caribbean we are small island developinq countries with limited resources &Od capacities. More" much more, is needed if the afflicted countries are to overcome the destruotion wrouqht on their aqricultural sectors, their infrastructures and their economies in order to resume their development efforts with the shortest poss ible delay. Barbados therefore joins its voice with all those others urqinq the international CO'i1lwnity to contribute most qenerous1V to the relief and reconstruetionefforts beinq undertaken in Antiqua and Batbuda, thG British Virqin Isllmds, Dominica, Montserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis. Also, we cannot forqet our sister islands of the ArRer iean VIrqin Islands. (Mr. Stanistaus, Grenada) We must be careful, however, to ensure that due consideration is qiven and SUfficient resources are allocated to the medium and lcnq-term reconstruction proQramlles which it will be necessary to formulate. Two days ago, the Minister for Foreiqn Affairs of Barbados, in addressinq this Assembly, expressed his hope that the dEl\Tastation caused by hurricane HUQo would serve as an impetus to the international community to qlve its full sUPl)Ort to the proclamation for the international Decade for the Reduction of Natural Disaster. I reiterate that concern. Mr. RICHARDSON (United Kingdom): My deleqation is pl'"lsed to have joined the SJ)Onscxs of the draft resolution before us. It is hard' to overstate the , destruction and chaos which hurricane HUQO caused when it struck the Caribbean last JIIOnth. My Govern1llent takes this opportunity to reiterate its deep sympathy to all those in the reqion who suffered. My Government rend~red proll$)t assistance to all the Car ibbean States and territories mentioned in this draft resolution durinq the first critical phase of emerqencv relief. This included' a dispatch of a naval vessel with sU1)Plies to the island of Montserrat, whim was particularly severely affected. Lookinq to the future, we have just announced that we are orovidinq 23 million for immediate el'llerqency relief and rehabilitation purpqses. We are meanwhile disc:useinq the lonq-term rehabilitation needs of atontserrat with its Government. On behalf of the GO'Iernments of the 8dtish territories affected by hurricane Hugo, I should like to thank all those who have helped mitiqate the effects ef this terrible disaster. We strongly commend this draf~ resolution, and we hope that the General ADeemly will adopt it by consen8UB~ (D~me Ruth Nita Barrow, BarbiC1os) ~ !!E. AMIGUES (Ftance) (interpretation from French): I should like at the outset to express aQam to the Governments of AntiQU~ and Sarbuda, Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis as well as to the authorities in Montserrat and the British Virqin Islands the French people's deep Sympathy for their peoples, which have SUffered so terribly from the effects of hurricane Huqo. MY deleqation would like to assure them of the French Goyernment's readiness to continue to delllOnstrate its reqional solidarity in helpinQ them to overcome this trial. Immediately after the hurricane had passed, emerqency relief measures were provided from our provinces in the Antilles and from the metropolitan country. A member of the French Government, the Secretarl of State for Humanitarian Assistance, Mr. Kouchner, visited the reqion himself to assess the needs. We took action to support these countries striclv.'l by the hurricllne despite very heavy constraints ar isinq from the qrave emerqency then prevailinQ in Guadeloupe. Our main actions were: the dispatch of three National Marine vessels, particularly to transport a medical team to Montsetrat, and three heUoooters; the dispatch of a Hercules airc:oraft with 16 tonnes of emerqencv supplies - that aircraft then beisoq made available for the transport of those supplies; and the provision of food, medicine, medical SuPPlies, Qeneratora, tents, chain-saws, cisterns and disinfectants. That initial relief assistance alr.dy totals in excess of 1.5 million francs and will certainly re&ch a final total of 2.2 million francs. Finally, France is currently considerinq, toqether with the countries affected, ways and means of providinq assistance to those countries _ they enqaqe in reconstruction. Nr. VAN SOfAIK (Netherlands): The deleqation of the KinGdom of the Netherlands would like to express its feelinQS of solidarity with the Caribbean countries that have been recently hit so brutallY bv hurricsne RUQo. This disastet also hacked its destructive path throuqh the Caribbean part of the Kincadom. The PeOple of Saba, ~t. Eustatius an~ St. Maarten immediately beqan to pick up the pieces, and jointly we have started the process of rebuildinq what has been 106t. We therefore doubly eJq)ath ize with our Car ibbean neiahbours and wes incerelV hope that the international COnlftl2nity and the United Nations sYStem will do whatever they can to assist in the reconstruction of the affected islands in the Caribbean reqion. It is in that spirit that we have co-sponsored the draf.t resolut 4 'n before us. The PRESID!!!: MaV I take it that the Asaemblv wishes to adoot draft resolution A/44/L.3? Draft resolution A/44/L.3 was adopted (resolution 44/3). The meetinq rose at 5.25 Q.m•