GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Last week a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Haiti identifying a number of areas in which CARICOM can assist its Member State, Haiti.

“I welcome the agreement!  Haiti is a Caribbean country that has been suffering many challenges of late.  There was the devastating earthquake two years ago followed by impacts from tropical weather systems and the cholera outbreak.

“The Caribbean community of nations has a role to play in assisting their fellow Caribbean brothers and sisters, and Haiti is no different.  The assistance to be provided without a doubt will make an impact on the lives of our fellow brothers and sisters in Haiti,” Prime Minister Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams said on Sunday.

The areas agreed upon between CARICOM and Haiti are: capacity building in government agencies for investment, technical assistance in education, agriculture, public health, transportation, tourism, and youth exchange initiatives.
An on-going assistance program to Haiti is a consignment of three containers of anti-cholera drugs provided by CARICOM which was delivered to the Haiti Ministry of Health early last week in the fight against the cholera epidemic.

The MOU was signed after a two-day mission to the country by the Bureau of Heads of Government of CARICOM led by Chairman His Excellency Desi Bouterse, President of Suriname, Right Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts & Nevis, the Hon. Phillip Pierre, Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, CARICOM Secretary General LaRocque, and Special Representative of the Heads of Government on Haiti, the Most Hon. PJ Patterson.