IMF head pledges support for disaster-stricken Caribbean countries

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) managing director, Christine Lagarde, says the multilateral is prepared to support the Caribbean with recovery funding and to build resilience against the effects of natural disasters.

Speaking this morning at the start of a high-level meeting with Caribbean leaders at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, Lagarde said the IMF is cognisant of the impact of natural disasters on economic development and stability in the Caribbean.

She says the IMF is ready to provide leadership with sourcing special funding and expertise to assist the region in developing mitigation and resilience strategies over the short and long term.

Additionally, the IMF managing director proposes convening a meeting with public and private stakeholders concerned with disaster mitigation and management in the region.

The commitment of the IMF official follows strong advocacy from Caribbean leaders for multilateral funding agencies to provide support for countries, such as those in the region, that suffer from the impact of frequent natural disasters.

The advocacy from Caribbean leaders follows the widespread devastation caused to several eastern Caribbean countries by back-to-back hurricanes earlier this year.

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