In response to the recent wave of intense floods that hit Trinidad and Tobago, the European Union is providing €70,000, circa TT$490,000 in humanitarian funding to assist the most affected and vulnerable. The current EU humanitarian funding will support the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society in delivering much-needed assistance including the distribution of hygiene and cleaning kits, blankets, and unconditional cash support.
The intervention will last for four months and aims at providing immediate support to approximately 1,250 people who have been severely impacted by the flooding. The Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society will identify the 250 most vulnerable families not eligible for emergency grants issued by the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services – households with children under five years, elders, pregnant women, single mothers, people with disabilities or chronic diseases and people leaving in makeshift houses – and provide them with one-off cash assistance to purchase what they most urgently need.
The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Trinidad and Tobago experienced persistent rainfall in November which led to saturated soils and the overflow of rivers, causing floods and landslides in 12 administrative districts. The Flood waters receded slowly, and several rural communities were submerged for days. Local authorities estimate that some 100,000 people have been affected, 15,000 of whom need some form of assistance.
