That the Parliament notes with great concern the destructive impact of Hurricane Matthew; believes that is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in over a decade and has impacted on countries including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as across much of the southern USA; regrets that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recorded multiple deaths as a result, including over 1,000 in Haiti; sends its condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones; recognises that 1.4 million Haitians are in need of humanitarian assistance; acknowledges that mass burials are being carried out in that country out to prevent the spread of cholera as its already extremely poor sanitation system has been overwhelmed by flooding and heavy rainfall, which creates the conditions in which this disease can spread quickly; commends Oxfam and ActionAid and the other organisations who are helping to get emergency supplies to the worst-affected areas, including Grand Anse in the south west of Haiti, which is entirely cut off by road; realises that the hurricane is the latest in a long string of natural disasters affecting the poverty-stricken nation of Haiti, which is heavily reliant on foreign aid, including the 2010 earthquake that resulted in up to 160,000 deaths; pays tribute to the civil defence members in the east of Cuba who executed a detailed evacuation plan, ensuring timely evacuation and preventing any loss of life on that island; appreciates the provision of £5 million in disaster relief aid provided by the UK Government, and hopes that everyone in the areas affected by the hurricane are given all the strength and support required to deal with the aftermath of this natural disaster.
Supported by:
Clare Adamson, Tom Arthur, Colin Beattie, Alexander Burnett, James Dornan, Linda Fabiani, John Finnie, Jenny Gilruth, Mairi Gougeon, Jamie Greene, Clare Haughey, Liam Kerr, Bill Kidd, Gordon Lindhurst, Richard Lyle, Fulton MacGregor, Ben Macpherson, Gillian Martin, John Mason, Joan McAlpine, Ivan McKee, Stuart McMillan, Ash Regan, Gail Ross, Elaine Smith, Alexander Stewart, David Torrance, Sandra White