Antigua and Barbuda was making great strides as one of the Caribbean's more prosperous nations and poised to become “high income,” officially no longer in need of development assistance. Then Hurricane Irma struck.
Category 5 winds reaching 180mph lashed Barbuda, damaging some 90% of structures and triggering the evacuation of all 1,800 residents to cramped shelters on its larger sister island. A “mammoth task” of reconstruction was required.
Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria inflicted similar devastation on nearby Dominica, wiping out the equivalent of 226% of its gross domestic product in a country classed as “upper-middle-income” and therefore with limited access to aid and concessional finance.
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About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
