Dominica aids Salybia communities after April storm with food hampers, farm and housing support, clean-up, and psychological services for residents.
Dominica: The Government of Dominica continues extending its support to the different East and Northeast communities which were affected by the weather system that occurred on April 26, 2026. On Friday, May 15, 2026, the Government shared a recovery update, focusing on the relief efforts that have been implemented across the Salybia Constituency to ensure the residents are supported and to restore normalcy.
According to the shared update, as of May 12, 2026, the Government has provided food assistance, in the form of food hampers, to approximately 1,041 households through the Rapid Response Programme, with humanitarian priority being given to the elderly, households with children, vulnerable residents and to disabled individuals.
Through the Ministry of Agriculture, 100 farms (70 in the Kalinago Territory and 30 in Atkinson) have been assessed and consultations have been conducted with the farmers to discuss ways the Government can both restore and support their livelihoods.
The update has also reported that the Ministry of Public Works has made significant progress in restoring access and supporting clean-up operations throughout the affected while the Forestry Division has sent out field teams and chainsaw operators to remove fallen trees, reopen local roads, and assist with slope and environmental evaluations together with ODM.
Moreover, housing assessments are also still being conducted across the communities, with 26 households already assessed and 14 of them have been reported to completely damage, resulting in the families’ relocation. The remainder of the houses will need to be repaired.
Through the “Return to Happiness Programme” initiated by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, phycological support services have been offered to both residents and children in the affected communities.
These recovery efforts are being advanced through the Ministry of Environment, Rural Modernisation, Kalinago Upliftment and Constituency Empowerment, who has also recently launched a community work crew recruitment initiative to support “clean-up operations, agricultural restoration, and road access rehabilitation while creating temporary income opportunities for affected residents.”
The Government of Dominica has announced that it will remain committed to supporting the people of the Salybia Constituency, with its priorities remaining to be focused on supporting vulnerable communities, restoring agricultural livelihoods, rehabilitating infrastructure and road access, expanding psychological support services and strengthening the preparedness and resilience in the communities.