Roseau – The UN Migration Agency (IOM) is supporting the Government of Dominica to improve the conditions of people living in emergency shelters around Dominica after Hurricane Maria destroyed almost 20 per cent and severely damaged another 55 per cent of the housing stock on the island, five months ago.

IOM, with funding from UK Aid, the European Commission humanitarian agency (ECHO) and the Government of Australia, will provide roof repairs and core shelter solutions for over one thousand vulnerable families in affected communities in the north east, west central and north west of the island. Core shelters are small basic structures, built in accordance with the Government of Dominica´s Building Guidelines, and designed in such a way that they can be expanded on.

Currently, assessment of potential beneficiaries is taking place in Woodfordhill, and roof repair works are at different stages for close to 20 households so far in that community.  In total, IOM intends to provide shelter solutions for almost 150 households in Woodfordhill. IOM will also be undertaking similar work in Marigot, Wesley, Calibishie, Bense and Anse de Mai in the north east.

On the West Coast, IOM is collaborating with village councils and other community leaders to choose beneficiaries. “All households in the affected communities cannot be assisted and so key groups have been identified in line with criteria endorsed by the Ministry of Social Services, Gender and Family Affairs as having the least capacity to recover without support,” explained Jan-Willem Wegdam, head of the IOM team deployed in Dominica since the hurricane hit the island. 

Households with elderly members, pregnant and lactating women and members who have disabilities or chronic illness that affect their mobility and ability to provide for themselves, will be prioritized. Single male or female headed households, large households with many children who are not able to work for income, poor households living in unsafe structures or an uninhabitable house due to the impact of the hurricane, and with low self-recovery capacity (including loss of livelihoods) will also be prioritized.

IOM is recruiting local engineers, architects, carpenters and contractors in these areas for training them in techniques for building back better, and to work for pay on community recovery programmes.

For further information please contact Maxine Alleyne-Esprit at IOM Dominica, Tel: + (767) 285-0794, Email: malleyne@iom.int