St. Maarten: PM assures nation that country making progress on disaster risk reduction

"I subscribe to the principle of building a resilient nation and communities as an essential condition for sustainable development. I want to reassure the country that the developing situation in Japan is indeed unsettling, but in this part of the world, our country is laying the groundwork to develop a resilient early warning system," Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams pointed out on Sunday.

"For example, a high level of disaster risk awareness, preparedness and planning, helped prevent causalities when Tropical Cyclone Yasi struck North-east Australia. Sint Maarten has been investing over the years in its capacity to respond to disasters."