GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat has provided the Government of Dominica with 400 emergency LED Solar Lanterns as part of disaster response activities following the devastation by Tropical Storm Erika last month.

The lanterns are powered through a built-in solar cell and are designed with back- up battery and “hand cranking” charging options. They provide light through energy-efficient LED bulbs and include a built-in USB port, which makes them capable of charging mobile phones and other electronic devices.

The lanterns are an appropriate fit to the post- disaster activities and, upon exposure to six hours of sunlight, provides lighting and power for communication devices, which can simultaneously improve the situation of residents and assist emergency field workers in the discharge of their tasks.

Dominica was the most severely impacted among the Caricom member states on which Tropical Storm Erika unleashed torrential rains on August 27 with continuous rainfall, measuring 10 inches over a six-hour period.

The Caricom Energy Programme has pledged to continue supporting Dominica and will assist with the integration of sustainable energy designs into the post disaster rebuilding process.

The contributions are being supported by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Project, which is being financed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, which is based in the Caricom Secretariat here.