Hurricane Irma: UK response found wanting, MPs say

Britain's response to Hurricane Irma has been "found wanting", the heads of two parliamentary committees have said.

Many of those affected in the UK's overseas territories in the Caribbean are still in "grave need", Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat and Labour MP Stephen Twigg said.

The UK has stepped up its relief effort, with three RAF aid flights sent to the area.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UK's response had been "very good".

Responding to criticisms, he highlighted the fact that UK military ship RFA Mounts Bay had been in the region, adding "you had to deal with hurricane winds blowing through".

"So it was difficult to deliver helicopters and deliver planes in the way the islanders would've wanted."

Irma has caused huge damage in the British overseas territories of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the Turks and Caicos islands further north.

The island of Montserrat was "swiped" but escaped serious impact.

The storm has now reached Cuba and is expected to hit Florida or neighbouring states in the US over the weekend.

Mr Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, and Mr Twigg, head of the international development committee, said the UK's response "still requires improvement".

In a letter to Mr Johnson and International Development Secretary Priti Patel, they said: "Experts and many in the area have been critical of the overall level of relief currently on offer as well as the apparent lack of forward-thinking once the storm's route to Florida became more than just a possibility."

They did welcome the increase in relief funding for the territories to £32m.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the impact of Hurricane Irma on the Caribbean was "entirely predictable" and the British government "should have acted much faster".

The BVI has declared a state of emergency and governor Gus Jaspert asked the UK for help amid reports of widespread devastation, with casualties and fatalities reported.

Mr Jaspert has warned that another storm, Hurricane Jose, could reach the islands at the weekend.

Sharon Flax-Brutus, director of tourism for the islands, said the damage was difficult to assess because communications were down, but that "many homes are without roofs, or have been diminished to merely foundations".

Simon Cross, who moved to the BVI two years ago, said the first warning he had of the hurricane hitting his building was when a skylight was blown off the roof.

"The wind was scary enough for us to all end up huddling in an adjoining bathroom which had a small window protected by metal shutters.

"The wind was like nothing I've ever known in my life. It was crazy."

Briton Emily Killhoury, who lives on Tortola in the BVI with her husband Michael and their two children, aged nine and 10, told the BBC her family bunkered down in a cupboard when the storm hit.

"Our downstairs doors suddenly blew out, which was terrifying. We just stayed hiding," she said.

"We eventually emerged at about 7pm to see total devastation. Everybody is shocked, but trying to be practical."

Prime Minister Theresa May has chaired a meeting of the government's emergency response Cobra committee.

She said UK troops deployed on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship Mounts Bay have been working in Anguilla and have "made the airfield serviceable, restored power to the hospital and rebuilt emergency shelters".

They have also begun assisting the governor of the BVI and working to ensure the airfield is accessible for military aircraft to fly in with emergency supplies, she added.

"Every effort is being made to ensure that as much as possible can be done in advance of Hurricane Jose, which is the next hurricane reaching that area."

The prime minister said the UK was also "committed" to providing support to ensure reconstruction work is done in the region in the long-term.

British overseas territories are self-governing but rely on the UK for protection from natural disasters.

Humanitarian workers with 200 shelter kits and the British ship, RFA Mounts Bay, were sent to the area before the hurricane struck.

The MoD-owned vessel arrived in Anguilla on Thursday and delivered six tonnes of emergency aid, with personnel there clearing roads and helping to restore power.

The ship has since arrived in the BVI - 90 miles to the west - to help with disaster relief efforts there.

Warship HMS Ocean is also being sent from the Mediterranean but is not expected to arrive for another two weeks.

The first British military flight to join the relief effort left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday carrying about 50 personnel - including engineers, marines and medics, as well as rations and water.

A further 10,000 aid buckets containing kit to help wash clothes and 5,000 have been loaded on to trucks at Kemble Airfield to be taken to either HMS Ocean or transport aircraft.

Thousands of British tourists are believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean, the travel association Abta said.

Britons in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida, amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane.

Holiday firms are monitoring the situation and some have cancelled flights or offered to amend bookings for those due to travel to affected areas in the coming days.

The cruise company Carnival has cancelled four cruises bound for the Caribbean that were due to depart over the next few days - and warned that others may be cut short.

The Foreign Office urges people planning to go to the areas to follow the advice from the local authorities, including any evacuation orders, and check its official travel guidance before travelling.

It has set up a hotline for people affected by the disaster and for people whose loved ones may be affected on 020 7008 0000.

Do you have family members living in one of the British Overseas Territories affected by the hurricane? Have you been in contact with them? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].

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