Deeply concerned that another Caribbean neighbour has been left vulnerable and battered by the 2015 hurricane season, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) stands ready to assist the Bahamas in recovering from the impact of Hurricane Joaquin.

Following the category four hurricane, there have been reports of severe flooding, damage to homes and other infrastructure as well as major disruptions to electricity and the country’s water supply, particularly in some of the country’s smaller islands. Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles has written to Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Honourable Perry Christie, offering the expertise of a University task force comprising geo-technical engineers, public health and environmental and water resource specialists.

Commenting on the matter, Vice-Chancellor Beckles said, “I have followed with great concern the updates about damage caused by Hurricane Joaquin over the last few days. The UWI is keen to provide assistance in areas that may be among the greatest needs as we stand with our brothers and sisters in the Bahamas. We anxiously await word from Prime Minister Christie on the areas that we can offer help”.

A similar multi-disciplinary task force visited Dominica in September and was instrumental in providing on the ground, technical support immediately after Tropical Storm Erika hit the island.

The UWI Open Campus that operates in Nassau is also at this time reaching out to affected students to assess the level of support they require. A full investigation is being undertaken by the Ag. Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr. Luz Longsworth.