British minister flies to Irma-hit areas after aid criticism

LONDON: Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson flew to British territories in the Caribbean following intense criticism of London’s efforts to help communities devastated by Hurricane Irma.

Johnson, who dismissed the criticism from local residents and British tourists as “completely unjustified”, will visit the affected British Overseas Territories today, the foreign ministry said on Twitter.

Britain has sent more than 700 troops and 50 police officers to the British Virgin Islands after Irma swept through last week.

Six people have been killed in the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.

Britain has also dispatched 10 humanitarian flights and pledged £32mil (RM178.6mil) in aid for the territories, which are under British sovereignty but not part of the United Kingdom.

A British navy ship has been assisting victims since last week and a second warship, the HMS Ocean, set off from Gibraltar yesterday but will only arrive in the Caribbean in 12 days’ time.

But local residents say the government was not prepared and the aid has been too slow to arrive.

Families of British tourists in St Martin have also complained that their loved ones are not being evacuated from the island. — AFP