$100 Million Will Help Security and Climate Change in the Caribbean

At the beginning of June, the Biden administration made a historical trip to Nassau, Bahamas. In the Bahamas, they met with Caribbean leaders like Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who discussed the plan to contribute $100 million in commitments in clean energy, security, and climate change. This is how $100 million will help climate change in the Caribbean and security. 

Security: The Plan for the Caribbean 

Before the Biden Administration made their trip to the Bahamas, at the White House, they announced their plan inside the Justice Department for Caribbean firearms prosecutions to maximize information shared between the U.S. and the region. 

“Our administration is committed to disrupt gun trafficking. We are committed to interdict shipments of arms and ammunition and hold traffickers accountable,” Kamala Harris said. 

The Caribbean hopes the U.S. can help better manage the holes in their border that have allowed for the illegal pipeline of weapons coming from their shores. 

USAID plans to provide $15 million to support disaster risk reduction, resilience building, and emergency response capacity strengthening. 

USAID is also going to provide $1 million to partner with the Caribbean Islands Higher Education Resilience Consortium and Northeastern University to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change, along with the risk of extreme weather events. 

Illegal Exportation 

The increase in the illegal exportation of guns from the United States, Caribbean leaders emphasized, “contributes significantly to crime and violence in the region, causing death and disabilities, and compromising safety and democracy.” 

A recent study found that the ready accessibility of firearms and ammunition in some neighboring countries, including the U.S., combined with an inadequate screening of mail and cargo shipments, “undermines the often-robust controls on firearms and ammunition adopted by many Caribbean states.” 

A lot of the firearms are being trafficked from the U.S. and are traced to states with seaports, like Florida. 

CITED: www.miamiherald.com, www.usaid.gov, www.bloomberg.com