Barbuda is Uninhabitable After Hurricane Irma, “For First Time in 300 Years, There’s Not A Single Living Person on the Island”

The catastrophic storm, Hurricane Irma, has left a small island in the eastern Caribbean completely uninhabitable. According to reports, 95% of the islands structures have been demolished, after the “most ferocious, cruel and merciless storm” ripped through, leaving a trail of destruction.

The storm forced the entire island of around 1,800 people out, marking the first time in 300 years that “there’s not a single living person on the island of Barbuda,” Ambassador Ronald Sanders said.

“A civilization that has existed on that island for over 300 years has now been extinguished,” he continued. “This was a huge monster. The island and the people on the island had absolutely no chance.”

“We’ve had most of the people we’ve brought over to Antigua in shelters,” he added, as the island did not suffer the same level of damage from the deadly storm. “We’ve tried to make living accommodations as good as humanly possible in these circumstance. Fortunately, we had planned ahead for this hurricane, as we had ordered supplies in from Miami and the United States before the hurricane hit.”

Although the island was able to prepare for the storm and get its residents to a safe place, the world has to chip in to help rebuild the small island, as it will cost about $200 million to rebuild and recover. Until then, they will make do with what they have.

“We are a small island community — the gross domestic product of Antigua is $1 billion a year,” he said. “We cannot afford to take on this responsibility by ourselves. Barbuda is not just a disaster; it’s a humanitarian crisis. We are hopeful that the international community will come to our aid, not because we’re begging for something we want, but because we’re begging for something that is needed.”

“We have declared a state of emergency in Barbuda because it is a complete disaster and uninhabitable,” he says. “We cannot cope with our own resources alone.”

Not only is Sanders requesting assistance on rebuilding efforts, he also wants the world to be more conscious of climate change.

“We believe climate change is here to stay — it’s a reality, despite all of the naysayers,” he says. “We know that these things have occurred as a result of the profligacy of the countries that are rich, and have abused the system. We, unfortunately, who contribute less than naught point naught percent of pollution of the world’s atmosphere, are the world’s greatest victims.”