Red Cross Roof Repair Project
Approval date
December 30, 2019
Effectiveness Date
First Disbursement Date
Overview:
The Sint Maarten Red Cross Roof Repair Project (US$ 3.62 Million) focuses on houses that need only roof repairs and not larger structural repairs. The roofs will be strengthened to withstand future extreme weather events. In addition, the project trains local tradesmen to carry out high-quality repairs. Increased knowledge and awareness of hurricane-resistant housing is a key component of the project.
Financial Summary:
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Repair +/- 200 roofs: The project will repair roofs in areas of the island where there is still significant hurricane damage and people are struggling to rebuild. The roofs will be reconstructed to safe standards, resilient to natural disasters and climate change.
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Provide on-the-job work experience to local tradesmen: The Dutch Red Cross has trained a number of people in construction skills and will hire and equip these local crews to deliver sustainable repairs.
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Increase awareness of hurricane-resistant building practices: Beneficiaries are empowered to monitor and perform sustainable house repairs. Technical workshops are offered to beneficiaries to improve their knowledge of hurricane-resistant building,
| Project Component | Target | On-going | Completed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households impacted by Hurricane Irma in safe housing | 200 |
|
182 | |
| Households have increased knowledge of hurricane resistant housing | 60 |
|
80 | |
| Trained local tradesmen employed for undertaking repairs | 50 |
|
60 | |
| Number of women-led households in safe housing | 30 |
|
75 |
Sint Maarten is highly vulnerable to natural disasters and adverse climatic events due to its location within the hurricane belt. Hurricane Irma impacted 90% of infrastructure in the country and caused damages and losses estimated at around 129% of GDP in September of 2017. The hurricane had severe impacts on the economy, which relies heavily on tourism. Poverty on the island has increased since Irma.
More than two years after Hurricane Irma struck, many households are still feeling the impacts of the disaster and many roofs are still to be repaired. Vulnerable households that lack access to resources are struggling to repair and rebuild by themselves. Many families cannot undertake repairs on their own due to vulnerabilities such as age, disability, or lack of expertise.
The Red Cross Roof Repair Project aims to train and hire local tradesmen to help with roof repairs, supervising repairs, and exercising quality control. Increasing local capacity in the construction sector will support economic recovery of all people involved.
The project aims to repair an estimated 200 houses with damaged roofs in areas that were outside the initial project focus areas. Red Cross-employed and supervised construction crews will repair the roofs to ensure faster and higher quality repairs than those realized so far.