February 18, 2020
In early September 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas – the most intense tropical cyclone on record to hit the region.
Hurricane Dorian ripped through the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama, killing at least 70 people and leaving many more missing. An estimated 70,000 people have been made homeless, and the Bahamas now faces a long a difficult road to recovery. All We Can and the Methodist Church in Britain launched a joint emergency appeal in response; supporters responded quickly and generously, having raised more than £100,000.00 to date since September.
In the wake of the hurricane, All We Can and the Methodist Church in Britain responded through a local humanitarian partner to deliver emergency food items, including rice, flour, sugar, and tinned items, for vulnerable families in Grand Bahama. This vital support helped families cover their immediate food needs, helping to sustain them as they face the long road to recovery.
Six months on from the disaster, All We Can and the Methodist Church in Britain are committed to supporting families as they seek to get back on their feet and rebuild their lives. On Man-of-War Cay, a small remote island off the shore of Abaco Island, All We Can is supporting access to a safe water point. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, access to clean drinking water was compromised following a storm surge – a coastal flood that commonly follows a severe storm. ‘Waves reached over 20ft high in some parts of Grand Bahama and Abaco Islands’ explained Anna Roughley, All We Can’s Humanitarian Aid and Partnerships Manager. ‘This created mass devastation, with more than 70% of the islands covered in water in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane.’
Before Hurricane Dorian, the community on Man-of-War Cay relied on household cisterns fed by rainwater, as the islands lack a central water system. Following the storm surge, many cisterns and rainwater collection systems were either damaged, or compromised by saline water. By supporting the provision of a water treatment system on Man-of-War Cay, All We Can is helping to provide access to a safe water point for the community that lives there.
As the Bahamian people look toward the future and longer term recovery, All We Can continue to be committed to walking alongside the most vulnerable and marginalised people in these communities. We are grateful to churches and individuals across the country, whose generosity has brought about hope for people in the face of a natural disaster unprecedented in their region.
