Dean's damage in Martinique more than US$300m

image French prime minister François Fillon (center) on tour in Guadeloupe with senator Lucette MIchaux Chevry (left)(Photo: Gayak Info)

by Danik Ibraheem Zandwonis

FORT-DE-FRANCE, Guadeloupe, August 23, 2007 - A delegation from hurricane ravaged Martinique and Guadeloupe is going to France to meet with newly elected president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Following his tour of Martinique and Guadeloupe Wednesday, French prime minister, François Fillon, also said that damage was estimated to be about 250m euros (US$338.6m).

He said the Sarkozy administration will help the two Caribbean islands to recover.

French experts are in Martinique and Guadeloupe assessing the damage and their report will help the government to decide on the next step, Fillon said.

French prime minister François Fillon and French overseas minister Christian Estrosi during their Guadeloupe tour (Photo: Gayak Info)

The centre of Hurricane Dean passed close to the south of Martinique last Friday unleashing its strongest winds which killed three people, left 600 homeless, 115 000 without telephone, electricity, or drinking water. The entire banana crop was also destroyed.

The delegation that will visit Paris includes president of the regional council Victorin Lurel of Guadeloupe and his colleague from Martinique Alfred Marie Jeannne and the eight deputies from the two islands.

During Fillon's visit, noted writers Edouard Glissant,  Patrick Chamoiseau, and Raphael Confiant seized the opportunity to write an open letter to the press to air grievances against the Sarkozy administration.

The mood here is also one of scepticism as people do not believe that Fillon could properly get a grasp of the situation and their suffering from a five hour visit. He left Fort de France for a brief visit to Guadeloupe before returning to Paris.

French overseas minister Christian Estrosi also visited the islands last Saturday.

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