ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Antigua and Barbuda and the European Union (EU) have signed an agreement for €5 million (US$5.9 million) to support the reconstruction of houses in Barbuda after hurricane Irma last year.

The support was allocated from the emergency reserves of the European Development Fund, and comes on top of the country’s cooperation programmes with the EU.

The programme will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and aims to rebuild to higher resilience standards 150 houses in Barbuda, following strict and adapted building codes, in close collaboration with the national authorities and concerned institutions like the National Office for Disaster Services.

During the signing ceremony in Antigua, Daniela Tramacere, EU Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda said: “This partnership between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the UNDP and the European Union is the guarantee that 150 Barbudan families will return to a safe, high quality and hurricane-resilient home”.

The common aim of Antigua and Barbuda and the EU through their long-lasting partnership and cooperation is to reduce vulnerability of the country to climate change and natural disasters in particular. It also seeks to improve the country’s fiscal and macroeconomic resilience through direct support to the Public Finance Management System.