Author: The Publisher

HILVERSUM – NTR Caribbean Network, branch of the Dutch public broadcasting, will participate in the national action day “Nederland helps St. Maarten” on NPO 1 on Friday. The national Dutch television channel NPO 1 will try to raise funds for the hurricane victims in St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius. Throughout the day there will be updates, showing how citizens in the Netherlands and the Caribbean Netherlands can help the affected islands. Huge devastation  Last week these islands were devastated by hurricane Irma. About 90 per cent of the homes in St. Maarten were damaged or are uninhabitable. Also, large…

PHILIPSBURG — With our island having suffered badly, both socially and economically by hurricane Irma,  which has caused everyone to be affected significantly in their homes and businesses, Philipsburg Promotional Board, propose that the authorities are to set up a broad base Social and Economic Recovery body, made up of members from the various business sectors , social and business organizations. Such an organization can be an essential vehicle in advising government in an effective and proper manner on how best to return its people into good living environments and to jump start the island’s economy timely and efficiently. PPB compliments…

PHILIPSBURG — The past couple of days military and police units on Sint Maarten have put an end to large-scale robberies and looting. An unknown number of persons were detained. Due to lack of detention capacity, persons who did not commit very serious facts have been sent home. All video-material will be reviewed at a later date. Meanwhile, a lot of data from the internet about looting has been recorded by a combined policeteam. The available photos of these suspects will be shared via the internet and the public will be actively asked for assistance in identifying the suspects. At…

We in St. Maarten are resilient people. We have recovered once already from a major hurricane disaster 22 years ago when Luis hit the island followed by Hurricane Marilyn. This time around, Hurricane Irma hit the island hard, but it was spared a second hit when Hurricane Jose turned north. Despite that, the island was still hit by another storm. The storm of the looters with their looting and plundering. They have caused more damaged than any hurricane ever could because they have damaged the image of our island as The Friendly Island and they have inflicted major pain to…

THE BOTTOM – Following the hurricane Saba’s local government has been meeting with stakeholders to discuss a joint strategy in the aftermath of hurricane Irma. On Monday the Island Government met with grocery stores, restaurants, bars, hotels and hardware stores. As St. Maarten is Saba’s main route for the import of goods, the Island Government is assisting in establishing possible new routes. While the king praised Saba for it’s hurricane pre-planning and clean up, the critique on how St. Maarten handled it is growing. Also Saban Vanessa, who was on St. Maarten during hurricane Irma, is not happy about how…

AIRPORT — In an interview with Today.sx at the SXM Airport, Alberto Romero, Interim-President of the Central Bank of Curacao & St. Maarten (CBCS), said that he has received reports estimating damages so far in excess of 2,5 billion US Dollars. “This is not Guilders”, he stressed. “Dollars!” The interim-director of the CBCS had just arrived Tuesday afternoon on an Inselair charter to St. Maarten to evacuate 12 officials of the CBCS who were on St. Maarten during the passing of Hurricane Irma. “Right now there is nothing they can do on St. Maarten,” Romero pointed out. “So we thought…

PHILIPSBURG –Eveline Henriquez is struggeling with a huge moral dilemma: should she let her children be evacuated or not? “The oldest is old enough to let him leave to go to family in The Netherlands.” she says. “But the youngest is not and I don’t want to separate them from each other.” Photo caption: Sister Borgia School is one of the Catholic Foundation schools on St. Maarten. Photo by Today photojournalist, Milton Pieters. Eveline is manager of a large food distributor and knows better than anyone that normal food will not be easy to get on tables anytime soon. She…

DEN HAAG – Dutch tourists and family members of Dutch civil servants who are working in St. Maarten were evacuated today. Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced this Sunday during a press conference at the National Crisis Centre in The Hague. A total 530 Dutch tourists will be evacuated in the coming days. Then priority will be placed on evacuating those persons there on island for work or study. The evacuations will probably take place by Military or humanitarian flights. St. Maarten’s airport is still not accessible to commercial flights. The Kingdom Police have set up an evacuation point for people…

PHILIPSBURG / HILVERSUM – “We are very happy with the marines that were sent here, but this is still not enough. We hope that more help is coming,” expressed 30-year old Marvio Cooks from St. Maarten. He and his family have taken refuge in Little Bay. Around him he sees many people looting, many with lack of food, water and shelter, but some are stealing brand new electronics. “More control and enforcement is needed.” Prison Also Eveline Henriquez-Dijkhoffz, who is located amidst ravage in Point Blanche hopes for the arrival of more marines. “A lot of places have been broken…

WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG – Hurricane Irma, a hurricane of the heaviest category (5), raged over St. Maarten on Wednesday. The damage is so extensive. So far one death has been confirmed as a result of the hurricane. Four deaths have been reported on the French side of the island. Eveline Henriquez-Dijkhoffz got caught in the middle of it and describes the damage. “Our roof is still on, but the damage around us is huge.” Eveline decided at the last moment to remain at home in Point Blanche with her husband and two sons of 14 and 7 years. However under the house,…