ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada -Secretary of State Colin Powell got a glimpse of the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Ivan on Grenada and promised yesterday that millions of dollars in U.S. aid were on the way to the island, where some complain they have been forgotten by the United States.
Powell was able to see some of the damage as his jet circled the island before landing. At the airport -where the metal roof was still torn in places -Powell shook hands with Prime Minister Keith Mitchell and visited a nearby warehouse where relief supplies are being stored.
President Bush wanted me to come and say to the government and people of Grenada that the United States is standing with you during this difficult time
Powell said at a news conference.
He said $100 million in aid to the Caribbean will be coming very soon. On Tuesday, Bush asked Congress for an additional $50 million to help victims of four major hurricanes that slammed into Haiti, Grenada, Jamaica and other Caribbean nations in addition to $50 million Bush already proposed for those countries.
Grenada has been hit the hardest so you can expect the assistance that we will be providing to you will be significant Powell said, without providing an exact figure for Grenada's share.
He said $1 million in financial help and relief supplies has already been sent to the island, and $3.6 million is on its way now.
U.S. aid to the island has dropped sharply since U.S. troops invaded in 1983 following a coup by left-wing radicals. Some islanders have complained the United States has been slow in sending help after the hurricane last month.
Ivan's 130 mph winds struck the Caribbean country Sept. 7, killing at least 39 people and leaving 90 percent of homes damaged or destroyed, as well as many centuries-old British and French colonial buildings.
Grenada's Finance Ministry released a report Tuesday estimating losses due to destruction and lost tourist business at $900 million.
Not only was their infrastructure hit
but their means of production and the economic base of the country -the agricultural sector
the tourism sector
the medical college -all of them were severely damaged
Powell said. So there is an urgent need to reconstruct the economy as well as rebuild houses and schools.
Powell said Mitchell gave him a reconstruction plan that he will take back to Washington to study.
Nearly a month after the hurricane, many Grenadians still are sleeping in their cars or on the floors of damaged houses with roofs blown off.
My car has been my bedroom for the past four weeks
said 35-year-old Hopeton Antoine, whose home was destroyed by the Category 3 hurricane. I think the United States government could play a greater role. They need to help in the provision of homes.
Grenada lost about 60 percent of its critical nutmeg crop, and officials say it will take about a decade for the industry to reach pre-Ivan levels.
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