Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on Hurricane Tomas, which has caused significant damage in St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Tobago. The storm is currently moving past Haiti headed towards the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Cuba.

“My heart goes out to those who have already experienced loss due to Hurricane Tomas. Unfortunately, this terrible storm is hovering over Haiti, causing flooding and mudslides, further exasperating the already precarious situation on the ground.” stated Representative Clarke. “I encourage all aid organizations, international stakeholders, and government officials to continue to provide the necessary resources to all CARICOM nation states affected by the storm, particularly as it relates to Haiti. I am working to ensure that all stakeholders in the CARICOM community and Caribbean Diaspora adequately prepare themselves for this storm and have the resources they need to fully recover from it.”

“As my office continues to monitor the progress of this storm, I encourage everyone to do what they can to help those affected by Tomas. This includes donating food, clothing, and other essential items. Tomas is a serious threat to the current rebuilding initiatives in Haiti, and provides the perfect example as to why we need to double-down our efforts and bring the Haitian people some semblance of security. We must get them out of the IDP tent cities and provide some semi-permanent/permanent housing as soon as possible. That said, I implore all U.S. agencies, relief organizations and the international donor community to continue to cooperate in the post-storm recovery,” concluded Congresswoman Clarke.

To see how you can help, click on the link below.

For more information please see contacts below.

Latest information from Embassy Port au Prince: http://haiti.usembassy.gov/

Public inquiries:  Email: TSTomasAmCitInquiry@state.gov or call 888-407-4747 (from within the United States) or 202-501-4444 (from abroad)

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