Khan: People have lost their humanity

He was speaking yesterday at the PNM post-general council media conference at Balisier House, Port of Spain. He said Rowley’s address yesterday dealt extensively with the situation in Dominica from information he received first hand from the army, Air Guard and Dominican authorities.

He said there has been a lot of talking back and forth but a fellow Caricom country had been devastated and 95 per cent of the island had been completely destroyed including families, homes, infrastructure, hospitals, schools and churches.

“Obviously Trinidad has to play a helping hand in this exercise.” Khan noted Rowley’s appeal at the post-Cabinet media briefing this week to open our doors to Dominicans and allow them to free access to this country for six months and the support of services such as schools and healthcare.

On Friday, secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha told Newsday TT’s doors should remain closed because the country already has too many refugees.

Khan said the council was “most disturbed” by the comments from a section of the population who did not understand the gravity of the situation. “Some people in this country seem to have lost their humanity.” He said the council condemned the statements and actions of those appearing in the press and social media against the move “in the strongest possible terms.” He appealed to people to support our Caricom brothers affected by hurricanes, namely Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St Maarten and Anguilla.

On people who said locals did not receive adequate assistance following Tropical Storm Bret in June, Khan said Bret and Hurricane Maria are “worlds apart” and Bret was barely a tropical storm while Maria was a category 5 hurricane and did damage on a scale that was “unprecedented.” “Absolutely no comparison to Bret.”