Havana, October 17 (RHC)-- The people and government are grateful for Cuban assistance to the island of Dominica, which was devastated in September by Hurricane Maria, said Mathew Walter, the Dominican ambassador to Cuba. 

When Hurricane Maria was raging, Cuba was ready to send rescuers to my country, Walter told reporters at the Panorama Hotel, where he is one of the diplomats invited to a specialized event on disaster situations. 

The hotel hosts the III Workshop-Workshop on Disaster Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change, to build capacities in communities and ecosystems in the Caribbean region. 

Ambassador Walter recalled the fact that the friendly ties between the two countries go back to 1996, when they established diplomatic relations and since then "it is no surprise that they continue to help us." 

He added that the four-day meeting is an experience for its practical application, not only in Dominica, but also in all Caribbean islands to counteract or mitigate the effects of climate change. 

Hurricane Maria had sustained winds of over 250 kilometers per hour that even destroyed the house of the Prime Minister. 

About three dozen Cuban doctors, a part of them from the permanent mission and others who arrived with the Henry Reeves Brigade, attend to emergencies and raise public awareness of the need to maintain hygienic standards, according to press reports. 

At the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit requested urgent international assistance to begin recovery efforts. 

Cuba, which was already present in Dominica before the passage of Maria, responded to the call despite the fact that it also recovers from the battering of Hurricane Irma.