The Jubilee Blog

Caribbean Bishops and Development Groups Urge Debt Relief for Irma-Struck Islands

By Abby Wilhelm

 

On behalf of Caribbean Catholic Bishops, Bishop Gabriel Malzaire called for islands dealing with Hurricane Irma to receive debt relief. As president of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, Malzaire joins US, European and Caribbean development groups that are calling for debt payments to be delayed until affected islands can rebuild. 

"The utter destruction caused by the passage of Hurricane Irma across the Northern Leeward Islands has not only shocked the people of our region by its severity but has left all of us with a much deeper awareness of our vulnerability to natural disasters and with a fear of threats from other approaching weather systems," wrote Malzaire in a letter to Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund. The Catholic Bishop continued his plea for a delay in debt payments until countries like Antigua and Barbuda can recover. "The sad reality is that the ones who are affected most, the poor, cannot be held responsible for this reality," continued the Catholic Bishop in his urgent request for a delay of debt payments.

 

Hurricane Irma tore through the Caribbean devastating a host of islands including Antigua and Barbuda, St. Martin and the US and British Virgin Islands. On September 7th, Jubilee USA launched a petition and sent a letter to the IMF requesting a delay in debt payments or a debt moratorium for islands so they can rebuild. Calls for a debt moratorium were also sent from the Jubilee Caribbean Network, Jubilee Germany, the United Kingdom's Jubilee Debt Campaign and the European Network on Debt and Development.

 

"When a natural disaster strikes, delaying debt payments is a quick way to get funding for rebuilding," said Eric LeCompte who is the Executive Director of the religious development group, Jubilee USA. LeCompte serves on United Nation expert groups that focus on debt. "The International Monetary Fund and other creditors can delay debt payments and ensure faster recovery for a country like Antigua and Barbuda."

 

Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister estimated about 150 million dollars for reconstruction efforts on the islands. As the hurricane passed last week, the disaster-struck island had a 3 million dollar debt payment to the IMF due. 

 

 

Antigua and Barbuda and Islands Dealing with Irma Should Stop Debt Payments

By Abby Wilhelm

 

As Hurricane Irma heads to the US coast, a religious development group is calling for debt payments to be suspended until Antigua and Barbuda and other severely impacted Caribbean nations recover from the storm. Jubilee USA is also calling for grants, as opposed to loans, to be made available for the island countries and the US territories.
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"The island of Barbuda was hit hard and fourteen hundred people are homeless. The country of Antigua and Barbuda and other severely impacted islands should stop paying debt until they rebuild and recover," stated Jubilee USA Executive Director Eric LeCompte. LeCompte serves on United Nation debt expert groups. "The International Monetary Fund can authorize a moratorium on debt payments so Antigua and Barbuda could immediately access $3 million for recovery efforts."

Antigua and Barbuda is scheduled to make a debt payment of $3 million to the International Monetary Fund today. The Caribbean islands of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin and the British and US Virgin Islands faced some of the most severe impacts as Hurricane Irma swept across the Caribbean. The US territory of Puerto Rico, although hit by the storm, escaped the full level of destruction originally predicted. 

"For all islands impacted by Irma, we need to see reconstruction grants, not more loans," said LeCompte. "The White House and Congress must continue to make these grants available to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Similarly, the IMF and World Bank should make grants available to other islands and nations affected."

Mired in Economic Crisis, Puerto Rico Braces For Hurricane Irma

By Abby Wilhelm

Category 5 Hurricane Irma nears the US territory of Puerto Rico. Struggling with a $74 billion dollar debt crisis, the island suffers from cuts to emergency services.

Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of the religious development group Jubilee USA, releases the following statement:

 

"We're concerned with how the debt crisis ‎affects Puerto Rico's ability to deal with the impacts of Hurricane Irma.‎
 

"Before Hurricane Irma, we saw cuts to social and emergency services.

"We are praying for all in the path of this hurricane."