President Daniel Gibbs with Red Cross President Professor Jean-Jacques Eledjam.
MARIGOT--The President of the French Red Cross Professor Jean-Jacques Eledjam, paid an official visit to St. Martin and St. Barths on Monday, November 13, as part of a first tour of the French Antilles since the hurricanes.
He was taken on a tour of the French side to view first-hand the damage caused by Hurricane Irma and the dramatic consequences on the poorest sections of the community.
The professor was accompanied by members of his own delegation and President of the local Territorial Chapter of the Red Cross Joceline Bretchel. The delegation entered some of the worst-affected neighbourhoods and was able to appreciate the scale of the emergency in the immediate aftermath of the storms.
During a private meeting, President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs expressed his thanks to the Red Cross for the crucial role it played in the management of relief aid, and for the care given to many people in critical situations.
Professor Eledjam reassured Gibbs of his intention to deploy important resources for St. Martin to continue the humanitarian work of the Red Cross and to allow the local territorial delegation, housed up to now by the Collectivité on Route du Fort Louis to find a new location, as the building used previously was destroyed in the hurricane.
The Professor also announced his intention to organise a Christmas tree with presents for St. Martin children.
