Irma: Barbuda, PR Need IMF & US Action

Dear friends, 

As Hurricane Irma presses on in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, we continue to pray for all of those affected and those still in the path of the category 5 hurricane. Throughout the night, Jubilee USA's Executive Director, Eric LeCompte was in touch with our partners who are on the islands that have already been hit. Although the religious leaders we work with are safe, we need you to take action to support them and their people.

Ask the International Monetary Fund and other creditors to suspend debt payments for countries like Antigua and Barbuda severely impacted by Irma. Tell the White House and Congress to continue to pass grants, not loans, for the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The scenes are heartbreaking.

One thousand four hundred people are homeless in the country of Antigua and B‎arbuda, and the country is scheduled to make a payment of nearly $3 million to the IMF today.

If the IMF can suspend the debt payments, almost $3 million is immediately available for reconstruction on the decimated island of Barbuda.

Jubilee USA's leadership sent a letter to the head of the IMF urging a moratorium on debt payments. Please join them and sign our petition to the IMF to suspend debt payments for countries devastated by Irma.Sign our petition to the IMF to suspend debt payments for countries devastated by Irma.

The Caribbean islands of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin and the British and US Virgin Islands have faced some of the most severe effects of Hurricane Irma thus far. The US territory of Puerto Rico, although hit by the storm, escaped the level of destruction originally predicted.‎ The US Virgin Islands are struggling with the aftermath of the Hurricane.

Sign our petition to Congress and to the White House to ensure that the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico receive aid in the form of grants, not loans.

We are so grateful for your partnership.

Best,

Kate Zeller
Campaigns Director