On behalf of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB), I would like to express our institution’s thoughts and prayers, and to offer support for the Bahamian people and the Government, in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, which inflicted substantial damage in many areas of The Bahamas from October 4-7, 2016.

Although Hurricane Matthew affected all islands in the country, the greatest impacts occurred in the Northern and Central Bahamas. Various Bahamian communities were flooded and battered by high winds, damaging numerous homes and government buildings, including health clinics, schools, police stations and other public facilities. In some areas, power and telecommunications lines were downed and roads were inundated by flooding. No deaths have been reported.

As a development partner, we want to reiterate the IDB's long term commitment to The Bahamas and offer our support and collaboration to facilitate relief, assessment and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in the entire archipelago, including isolated communities in the Family Islands.