Kingdom Council of Ministers meets about hurricane Irma
Today the Kingdom Council of Ministers met to talk about the current situation on the islands of St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, which have been hard hit by hurricane Irma.
In the Kingdom Council of Ministers maintaining law and order and the emergency relief to the three islands were discussed. This involves first of all the distribution of basic necessities (food and water) and emergency supplies for people who have no roof over their heads, recovery of vital infrastructure and healthcare (prevention of outbreak of infectious diseases and restoration of the hospital on St. Maarten.
There were also talks about what is needed in the coming period to once again restore public life on the three islands as good as possible. Dutch teams were sent to St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, who together with local authorities and aid workers are mapping what is necessary.
The Netherlands, Curaçao and Aruba are doing what is within their means to provide relief. In the Kingdom Council of Ministers was established and underlined that the countries of the Kingdom lends each other help and assistance in accordance with the provision in the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Also, thanks were expressed to marines, officers, aid workers and volunteers from the different countries and parts of the Kingdom for their efforts.
In the Kingdom Council of Ministers are seated the Dutch Ministers and Plenipotentiary Ministers of the other autonomous countries within the Kingdom: Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten. Saba and St. Eustatius, as well as Bonaire have the status of Public Entity within the country the Netherlands and fall under the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.