WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on the Hurricane Matthew:

“As the representative of the Ninth Congressional District of New York, home to our nation’s largest concentration of Caribbean Americans and Caribbean nationals, my prayers are with Caribbean region as its people contend with the violent force of nature identified as Hurricane Matthew. I want to share my concern for the well-being of the people of the Caribbean who are impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Matthew and call on people of good will to commence organizing disaster relief efforts in anticipation of the inevitable call to action.

“This storm is one of the most severe to hit the Caribbean in more than a decade. Families in Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands have already been affected.

“I am heartened by the actions taken by the Obama Administration through USAID, which has already sent expert personnel into the region, to both Jamaica and Haiti, who are ready upon request to render assistance to countries impacted by this hurricane to help them recover, rebuild and return to their daily lives as quickly as possible.  

“I would  also call upon concerned citizens in my district and across the country to stand up disaster relief efforts that include donations of non-perishable items, canned goods and water, first-aid and personal hygiene products, building supplies, and money to legitimate and bona fide organizations involved in direct disaster relief efforts.

“Rest assured that my office will continue to monitor the impact of Hurricane Matthew very closely. We will keep our constituents and any persons interested briefed and informed as we receive status updates on the extent of the damages and recovery efforts currently under way.”

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, the Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Small Business in the House of Representatives, proudly represents Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, Park Slope, Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.