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Hurricane Irma: Foreign Secretary's visit to the UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean

Boris Johnson visited Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands after Hurricane Irma to see the UK바카라 사이트檚 huge relief effort at first hand.

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon Boris Johnson
• Published: 13 September 2017

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited the Caribbean to see the impact of the UK바카라 사이트檚 relief effort following Hurricane Irma. He also met the governors and others leading the recovery work, and visited communities working to repair major damage.

Arriving in the Caribbean

Arriving at Bridgetown airport in Barbados yesterday, 12 September, the Foreign Secretary said:

We바카라 사이트檙e in Bridgetown in Barbados which is absolutely crucial for the operation of British armed forces in getting in huge numbers of men and supplies and police officers into areas affected by Hurricane Irma, in Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos.

It바카라 사이트檚 an extraordinary effort, the biggest military effort by British services since Libya, and I really think it바카라 사이트檚 starting to work, I think they바카라 사이트檝e been very well received. You바카라 사이트檙e seeing confidence starting to rise on those islands, making some more announcements tomorrow about some of the funding that바카라 사이트檚 coming through.

But the key message that we바카라 사이트檙e making, we바카라 사이트檙e giving is that we바카라 사이트檙e not just here to support these islands to get back up on their feet, we바카라 사이트檙e here for the long term. These are British people, and we바카라 사이트檙e here to help.

Visiting Anguilla

Visiting the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Anguilla today, the Foreign Secretary said:

I바카라 사이트檓 here outside the hospital in Anguilla where they바카라 사이트檝e had huge amount of storm damage, about 60% of the facility is damaged, but the Royal Marines, the Royal Engineers are here and they바카라 사이트檝e been putting it back on its feet and steadily repairing it. A dozen or more have just arrived with their tools and getting on with the job of putting Anguilla back on its feet.

It바카라 사이트檚 incredible to see the resilience of the people here, I바카라 사이트檝e seen tree바카라 사이트檚 stripped of every leaf, telephone poles snapped in 2, electricity poles torn down, roofs blown off. Quite unbelievable destruction but you can바카라 사이트檛 destroy the spirit of the these people.

Visiting the British Virgin Islands

After meeting the authorities and local communities, the Foreign Secretary said:

I바카라 사이트檓 in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and this is the East End Area and we바카라 사이트檙e looking at, as you can see, incredible devastation but it is starting to come back on its feet and the UK is helping. 拢25 million announced today by our government in addition to the 拢32 million we바카라 사이트檝e already pledged. We are getting on with the work of sending our Armed Services around, with the police helping to build up confidence on the streets.

Yes there are difficulties distributing some of the aid, getting water and food to the places we want it to get to but slowly it바카라 사이트檚 happening and you바카라 사이트檝e got the UK government working very, very closely with the authorities here in the British Virgin Islands.

What바카라 사이트檚 so incredible is the spirit of these Islands. The hurricane can come in, it can knock down absolutely everything in its path but it can바카라 사이트檛 bow or bend the spirit of the British Virgin Islands.

Find out more about the government바카라 사이트檚 response to Hurricane Irma.

Published 13 September 2017