A resolution approved Friday by the OAS stated that previous hurricanes have led to higher insurance premiums, unemployment and poverty. It called for the immediate operation of a loss and damage fund agreed upon at previous UN climate change conferences to help vulnerable countries rebuild and also prepare for future storms.
The resolution also requested that financial and development institutions release funds to small nations affected by disasters on a concessionary basis, “free from onerous conditions,” and to “cancel, defer or reschedule debt repayments”.
OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro noted that funds flowing toward islands affected by Beryl are insufficient, with the UN and Caribbean leaders requesting at least $9 million in assistance.
He warned that the severity of natural disasters is increasing, with Beryl as proof.
“This is yet another indication that the climate crisis is worsening,” he said.
Chet Neymour, the Bahamian delegate, criticized how top greenhouse gas emitters worldwide have remained “silent and noncommittal” about their responsibilities, noting that the Caribbean is one of the regions most affected by climate change and among those that contribute least to it.
“Nations like my own have had to go at it alone,” he said, noting that Hurricane Dorian pummeled the Bahamas in 2019 for two days as a Category 5 storm. “Lives are at stake”.
Officials talked about the need to invest in early warning systems and resilient infrastructure, noting that the Atlantic hurricane season has just started.
Delegate Lynn Young of Belize said governments also must prioritize talks about climate financing.
“Hurricane Beryl underscores an urgent reality,” he said. “ The crisis is here”.
