How to help the Bahamas after hurricane Dorian

Oh, still playing the victim now? How can someone telling you to write a check be considered a personal attack?

 

Why is it so hard to look at them and see people? Just people, not black, brown, illegal, immigrant, gay, straight, but simply as people.

Yeah and like Texas too.

 

How many times have you been to Abaco?

 

Is the American Red Cross aiding the Bahama's?

 

Hurricane Dorian was what will be only the start of problems for Bahamians. Let me list some of the challenges they're going to be facing in the short term and the long term. I'd be very interested in hearing some thoughts about these challenges.

The search, recover and disposal of dead bodies will soon reach a critical phase. Of course families need to get some resolution and be able to give their family member, neighbor or friend a burial in an appropriate place. But the challenge is that these dead are laying beneath mountains of debris. The task of finding, uncovering and extraction of bodies is in itself a gargantuan task particularly without the aide of heavy machinery. It will take a force of thousands to do this by hand. They will need trained canine search and rescue teams. The removal and burial of bodies is now at a critical point right now because the decomposition of the dead can lead to diseases such as cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, Hep B, HIV, and hepatitis C.

As everyone knows, the Abacos Islands and Freeport were devastated. So from day #1 following Dorian, these people had no water, no food, no home, no clothes, they had the clothes on their back and whatever they could salvage from the wreck of what was once their homes. We're now day #7 post Dorian striking the outlying island of Great Abaco. Another thing to consider aside from the fact there are no services still existing on these islands such as organized police, fire and emergency services. There's no organization available such as the U.S. has with FEMA that's available to them to help them rebuild their homes or businesses. It's doubtful if any of these people even had some sort of home insurance.

I hate sounding hopeless and usually I can see some small light at then end of a dark tunnel, but this is different. I don't know where they're going to start or will they all be forced to abandon these islands while big equipment and scores of construction workers come in, if they come in at all? It seems to me that all the survivors will have no other option than to abandon the islands and relocate, until some reconstruction gets underway. But, where do they relocate to? The Bahamas is an independent Commonwealth with Elizabeth II as its queen.

One survivor from Abaco Island, 75-year-old Firstina Swain, told Reuters news agency the "people of Abaco need to get out" because "there are too many bodies".

"Nobody can help anybody in Abaco, there's no place safe, everything is destroyed," she said.

 

In addition to teams of workers and volunteers, the American Red Cross brought medical doctors, medical supplies, emergency rations and much needed water. The American Red Cross has committed an initial $2 million to assist in meeting the immediate needs of those affected by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, while providing shelter and food to thousands of people in the United States. The American Red Cross coordinates efforts with the Bahama Red Cross.

I know for certain that if anyone wants to donate money and be certain that it will go to the people of the Bahamas, the American Red Cross is the one to consider donating to.

 

Cool, thanks. I just made a donation to the Bahama Red Cross. It's heartening to see so many people and organizations revving up to help. Thanks for the OP.

 

What is your definition of shithole?
The Bahamas are a third world country...while tourists see large resorts like Atlantis, the vast majority of the population lives on very little. And now their homes are gone. They have no money/savings. They have no way to rebuild. They no longer have jobs. The fishermen no longer have boats. The government doesn't have money to help. How will they recover?

 

It was impossible to miss the concern on the face of the Minister of Health when he discussed the issue of resulting diseases. People are evacuating, slowly, but I fear it won't happen quickly enough.

 

A very big way to help is to book your vacation in the Bahamas. The islands of the north were devastated, but the others were untouched. And are beyond beautiful. Tourism is, basically, the only source of income (aside from fish exports) - and the country desperately needs money.

 

I feel that the government of the Bahamas is purposely restraining themselves from making an already dire situation even worse by being completely truthful of exactly how dark and how deeply devastating this event was and will only worsen in upcoming weeks. The only solution, albeit a very difficult one, is to get as many people away from Abaco and Freeport as they possibly can. Air or sea evacuate them to other parts of the world where they have some contacts whether it's in the U.S., England or any other country. These countries must accept these refugees. Once the immediate threat of loss of life due to lack of basic needs like water, food and shelter is remedied, then the task of clearing out the debris can begin. Perhaps heavy equipment such as bulldozers, excavators, loaders and trucks can be brought by sea to the islands. Once the bulk of the debris has been removed and burned or buried, then there's a need teams for scores of construction workers, electrical engineers, transportation managers, sanitation engineers and other services.

The Bahamas exist on tourism and of course that's not even an option anymore. In order to restore the confidence of people wishing to go to the Bahamas to vacation, all these things will have to be in place first. That's going to take billions of dollars. I don't know if that magnitude of wealth even exists in the Bahamas.

 

A post that makes tRUMP yuuggellyy proud. Kudos

 

That's actually a great point. But not many are aware of this and the overall concept is that the Bahamas is the one place nobody wants to book a vacation to. All of the hotels in Abacos and Grant Bahama are closed but there's something like 700 islands in the Bahamas and some of them were barely touched. It would help if the networks publicized this fact. It could bring some desperately needed revenue.

 

Any Bahamian with a boat capable of carrying more than 6 people have been making trips in and out of Abaco and Freeport. They have put their businesses on hold and will be making that trip, daily, until people who want a ride out get one. They are relying upon organizations to provide fuel.

As for the tourism - all the largest resorts are completely unaffected by the storm. Many SOFLO newscasters are spreading the world and encouraging people to vacation in Nassau or the southern islands.

The government is, indeed, keeping mum about the ugliest side of this storm. Even the death count.

 

They'll do what they have to do. The wealthier inhabitants will need labor and skilled workers to rebuild what they lost. The government will be hiring and rebuilding as well. Much of the debris can be recycled by locals. And there are millions of tons of donations en route, not to mention billions in money. It will be very difficult, but not impossible. Sorry if I avoided your point.

 

I have no problem with the U.S. federal government using the USCG and USN and even the USAF providing humanitarian aid (water, MRE's, medical) and even law enforcement since the U.S. Marines have been playing the world's policeman going on 220 years now but it should be the British Crown leading the humanitarian efforts.

What if it was that really big shithole in Sub Sarah Africa ?
Not our problem, it was the colonial European countries especially the British and French who didn't prepare Africa for independence and self rule. Today all of the continent of Africa is a shithole basketcase.

Remember when the Congressional Black Caucus called out President G.H. Bush (41) to get involved in Somalia and Mogadishu and if he didn't they were going to play the race card ?

Then President Clinton decided to go further with "Nation Building" and with "Black Hawk Down" was the final reason when OBL decided he could get away with attacking America on its own soil on 9-11-01.

We should have never got involved in Africa.

Don't you mean California ?

 

I never sailed the Carabine, just the Pacific.

 

The coverage has been terrifying. Good on the Bahaman people, I'd love to visit one year.