No Canadians have been reported lifeless because of Hurricane Melissa making landfall within the Caribbean, the MP overseeing Canada’s international support stated Wednesday.
Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for worldwide improvement, stated Canada is “very intently” monitoring the scenario and is able to assist with any native requests for logistics or humanitarian help.
“It’s an enormous catastrophe. It’s a category 5, it’s the largest that Jamaica has ever seen in recorded historical past,” Sarai stated on Parliament Hill.
“There’s nothing that may face up to that stress.”
Sarai famous that Cuba and Jamaica have each tapped US$4 million from a United Nations emergency fund to which Canada has contributed greater than $29 million this 12 months.
There have been comparable disbursements from Canadian-supported funds run by the Purple Cross and World Meals Programme, and Canadian tasks supporting hurricane resilience, his workplace stated.
“We’re working with each governments to see no matter else we will do to assist (and) any humanitarian reduction we will do,” Sarai stated.
“If any request is made, I feel Canada would have a look at it fairly favourably, however we’ll make that evaluation as soon as these requests are made.”
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International Affairs Canada despatched its speedy deployment group to the area to supply emergency response and consular help to Canadian residents.
The division stated consular officers stand “prepared to supply help to Canadians as wanted.” It stated that since October 23, International Affairs Canada has obtained 138 requests for info from Canadians within the area.
“Up to now, we’re not conscious of any Canadian residents who’ve been injured or killed because of this hurricane,” reads an e mail from the division.
The e-mail stated there are 2,113 Canadians registered in Jamaica, 1,806 in Cuba, 4,134 within the Dominican Republic, 3,230 in Haiti, 1,506 within the Cayman Islands, 548 within the Bahamas and 235 within the Turks and Caicos Islands.
International Affairs Canada stated the Excessive Fee of Canada to Jamaica has briefly lowered non-consular operations and the constructing will stay inaccessible till additional discover. It stated the excessive fee stays operational remotely and consular calls are being dealt with in Ottawa.
The Embassy of Canada to Cuba stays operational with lowered workers, it stated, including that every one workers at Canadian missions within the area are “protected and accounted for.”
Earlier than the hurricane made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica, International Affairs Canada had been warning Canadians within the area to register with the division, observe native shelter and evacuation orders and keep away from misinformation on-line.
International Affairs Canada stated the scenario with Hurricane Melissa is “evolving shortly” and that Canadians within the area ought to keep away from all journey to Jamaica, Haiti and to Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas in Cuba.
It additionally stated Canadians ought to keep away from non-essential journey to the southeastern and central Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bermuda.
The hurricane has precipitated widespread energy outages and dozens of deaths.
“International Affairs Canada is intently monitoring the scenario within the area, and we’re in touch with humanitarian organizations on the bottom to raised perceive the wants of these affected,” the division stated.
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