British ship rerouted to Dominica

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The United Kingdom’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Lyme Bay ship has been rerouted to assist humanitarian relief efforts in Dominica following the destruction of Tropical Storm Erika.

The British ship is stocked with a range of disaster relief stores including bedding, shelter, torches, and stretchers, along with a Lynx Mk 8 helicopter and large supplies of fresh water.

RFA Lyme Bay is stationed in the Caribbean and acts as a first responder in the event of natural disaster in the region.

“It is clear that Dominica has borne the brunt of this storm, with a number of deaths already confirmed and hundreds of people made homeless,” said Justice Greening, Secretary of State for the UK’s Department for International Development. “Roads, bridges and health clinics have been affected and large parts of the island are without water and electricity.”

According to Victoria Dean, British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, the UK Government has also committed over $460,000 in immediate humanitarian aid to the island.