The Tribune

AS relief efforts continue in the islands hit hardest by Hurricane Joaquin, an aid organisation has offered a helping hand.

YachtAid Global (YAG) delivers aid on yachts to coastal communities worldwide. In times of natural disasters, YAG has the ability to mobilise and shift resources quickly.

“Yachts are essentially self-contained disaster relief platforms that work perfectly in the geographic arrangement of isolated island communities,” said Mark Drewelow, YAG founder.

“The Bahamas has long been a fantastic host to luxury yachts; as such, our industry is obligated to help out in times of need. Every visiting yacht has the capability of contributing to the Hurricane Joaquin recovery effort.”

The California-based non-profit organisation works with yacht owners, crew and industry professionals to determine the needs of a particular area.

YAG recently undertook a disaster relief effort in the tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu in the wake of Cyclone Pam, and Mr Drewelow said the team is eager to bring the lessons of that experience to bear on the relief effort in The Bahamas.

“It became clear that on disaster-struck islands, there is a great need for safe drinking water and the challenge is working out how to move in bulk as fast as possible with the least risk possible,” he explained. “We also learned about making sure aid is ‘pulled’ from the impacted area and not ‘pushed’ from donors; this means deliveries must be determined by properly vetted needs assessments so as to ensure that the right resources are going to the right places as quickly as possible.”

YAG’s policy is to work through the official disaster response agencies in each impacted country. Their offer to help The Bahamas has been welcomed by Captain Stephen Russell, director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

“We are most grateful for the donations and strategic support that have been offered by YachtAid Global,” Mr Russell said. “The southern Bahamas remains in great need of help and they are globally recognised experts in disaster relief in small islands and coastal communities.”

Waterkeeper Bahamas, the local branch of a worldwide alliance dedicated to protecting the planet’s waterways, is collaborating with YAG in this effort.

“Partnering with Waterkeeper Bahamas has been and continues to be an outstanding experience,” Mr Drewelow said. “They respond with care and thoughtfulness to requests for information and intelligence and they ask the right questions to YAG.”