Hurricane Maria Emergency Relief Assistance to Dominica

In the wake of Category 5 Hurricane Maria, which devastated the Nature Island of Dominica during the night of Monday, September 19, 2017, the ‘German Foreign Federal Office’ (AA), through the German embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, and in collaboration with the German Honorary Consul in Saint Lucia, made available EUR 20.000 for the CARPHA and GIZ-implemented 'Caribbean Aqua-Terrestrial Solutions' (CATS) program area in Dominica that is the ‘Soufriere-Scott’s Head Marine Reserve’ (SSMR). Three villages are located within this area that is the St. Marks Parish, namely Soufriere (approx. 1200 inhabitants), Scott’s Head (approx. 700 inhabitants), and Galion (approx. 100 inhabitants). Three boatloads of bottled water, food items, pharmaceuticals, hardware, clothing etc. were procured in Saint Lucia and taken to the SSMR area in Dominica and the St. Marks Parish resp. by Karen-P, a sailing yacht that easily accommodated two 7.5 ton trucks of merchandise volume. The second of the three boat trips to Dominica is the one depicted in this short film documentary. A few still images from the first trip have been incorporated. The two CATS colleagues in Dominica, Camille David and Brendan Defoe, in collaboration with members of the Village Council and the Dominican police, had set up a well-functioning collection and distribution system.