After Hurricane Irma, violence over food strikes Caribbean islands
While some said there was a general disintegration of law and order in the area, others compared it to a civil war.
Looting and violence have spread across the Caribbean islands that are still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Looters, armed with guns and knives, raided hotels and shops, and have robbed many tourists of food, electronic goods, vehicles and other valuables, The New York Times reported.
“All the food is gone now,” Jacques Charbonnier, a 63-year-old resident of St Martin, was quoted as saying. “People are fighting in the streets for what is left.”
A small minority of sxm-er's were looting our unoccupied rooms until the Dutch military arrived. Not essentials - taking TV's #sxm #Irma
— M. Antongiavann (@jafine21) September 9, 2017
While some said there was a general disintegration of law and order in the area, others compared it to a civil war. “There are no rules, there is no law, and no protection right now,” a resident of the Dutch territory St Marteen posted on Facebook.
The governments in Britain, France and the Netherlands, which oversee territories in the region, have stepped up their response and sent in extra troops to restore order.
Irma left behind an “apocalyptic wasteland” in the Caribbean. At least 24 people have been killed. The hurricane caused unprecedented destruction in the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Barbuda, St Martin, St Barts, Puetro Rico, St Kitts & Nevis, and Haiti.