Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said yesterday The Bahamas had not yet established contact with The Commonwealth Secretary General to determine how it can assist the survivors of the deadly tsunamis that hit parts of Asia and Africa over the weekend.
But he said the country is actively trying to determine the level of assistance it will give.
The Bahamas, meanwhile, has sent letters of condolence to the affected nations, where the death toll has risen to at least 80,000.
Countries like India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Maldives are members of The Commonwealth and maintain good relations with The Bahamas.
India has reportedly offered The Bahamas $50,000 in medical aid to assist with hurricane rehabilitative efforts.
Minister Mitchell said an official visit of Bahamian government officials is planned for the Far East as The Bahamas is Vice Chair of The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.
He said the semi-annual meeting is being held in London in February. Prior to that the idea was to visit India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
ﾓThis is clearly an appropriate time since we have been trying to enhance relations with India in particular for us to discuss these issues [related to the disaster],ﾒ Minister Mitchell said
Even though The Bahamas has yet to experience devastation of this magnitude, the ravages of hurricanes Frances and Jeanne reminded the country of the importance of international assistance in redevelopment, according to the Minister.
In response to the question of what assistance The Bahamas can offer since the country is still recovering from an active hurricane season, Minister Mitchell replied, ﾓmoral support to anyone in need is always appreciated.
ﾓItﾴs very important in times like these, even in terms of human relationships, people like to know that you stand with them in their times of trouble. That is first and foremost.ﾒ
ﾓSecondly, The Bahamas contributes to the Commonwealth fund as a nation every year. So the question now is what funds are we now supporting and whether the nationﾴs support is already factored in.
ﾓFor example, the devastation in Grenada, notwithstanding the countryﾴs own difficulties, the government has indicated that it is prepared to look at the question of offering scholarships for students from Grenada as a result of displacement from institutions there.ﾒ
Minister Mitchell reported that some Bahamians have already begun showing interest in providing aid to the nations affected by the tsumanis.
These persons include members of the One Family Junkanoo group, whose theme for the Boxing Day Parade is ﾑAsia ﾖ A Magical Mystical Journey.ﾴ
Group members reportedly want to gather contributions to assist those nations.
Perez Clarke, The Bahama Journal
