By Nadine WhiteFrom The Voice UK

Libraries across Barbuda and Dominica will benefit from the thousands of printed works supplied by Book Aid International.

Book Aid international donated 3,600 brand new books to help those affected by the hurricanes begin to rebuild their information services. All these books were supplied by UK publishers.

Last autumn, the Caribbean islands were hit by hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria. Hurricane Irma made landfall in Barbuda as a Category Five storm, wrecking much of the island. It was followed, just a few days later, by Hurricane Jose and Hurricane Maria.

Dominica was the first island to feel the full force of Hurricane Maria and 90% of its structures were severely impacted. Two of the four public libraries on the island were damaged and over 25,000 books were lost.

Book Aid International has pledged to send 2,000 books to help Dominica begin to rebuild its library service. The charity has also already donated 1,600 books to Antigua in support of Barbudan residents currently sheltering on the island.

Hurricane Irma destroyed 90% of Barbuda’s buildings and forced almost all of the island’s 1,500 residents to take refuge on its sister island, Antigua. This book donation will support in particular Barbudan and Dominican children who have been taken into schools on Antigua to continue with their education.

The charity’s chair, Lord Paul Boateng, commented on the charity’s commitment to supporting the region as it recovers:

“We are delighted to stand alongside the peoples of Dominica and the Caribbean as they respond to the devastating impact of the hurricane on education and libraries serving some of the most vulnerable in our global community. We look forward to continuing to work with our local partners and congratulate them on their hard work and resilience in the face of adversity.”

Book Aid International is committed to ensuring that everyone, whatever their circumstances, has access to books that will enrich, improve and change their lives. It has a special focus on ensuring that the people who face the greatest barriers to reading can access books, including those recovering from disaster.

The charity hopes to continue supporting people around the world who have been affected by natural and man-made disasters. To find out more about the charity or get involved, please visit www.bookaid.org or join the conversation on twitter: @book_aid.

IMAGE: HELPING HAND: Books being loaded up for shipping (Photo credit: Book Aid International)

For more on this story go to: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/books-donated-support-caribbean-hurricane-recovery