Praia, Aug. 17, 2025 (Lusa) - Cabo Verde has announced a strategic response plan to the destruction caused by Monday's storm, with nine dead, one missing and 251 families affected, who lost almost all their possessions.
In an address to the nation in Praia, followed by a press conference attended by three ministers, the prime minister said that "the government will use the resources of the National Emergency Fund", created in 2019 to respond to natural disasters or the impact of external economic shocks.
Ulisses Correia e Silva emphasised that the strategic response plan includes emergency support for families and economic activities, with support, credit lines with subsidised interest and non-repayable funds, justifying the decision with the "dramatic, exceptional situation".
The families of the victims and the missing will be given a temporary emergency social income of 25,000 escudos (€226.70) a month, which a pension will then replace.
The minister also listed a series of measures that include temporary rehousing, support for renting and rehabilitating homes, as well as the construction and allocation of social housing to families whose homes have been damaged or are in a situation of housing insecurity.
The support also provides for "access to care services for families with dependent people, children, teenagers, the elderly, the disabled or those with chronic illnesses".
The plan also covers "measures to protect economic activity".
On the one hand, the Cabo Verde government is going ahead with the allocation of an emergency solidarity income of 30,000 escudos (€272) per month, for three months, aimed at the commerce, fisheries, agriculture and livestock sectors, which will also benefit from a "non-refundable financial subsidy, with preferential access to low-interest loans", although the amount of the credit lines has not yet been announced.
For micro, small and medium-sized companies, Ulisses Correia e Silva promised that an "emergency credit line with interest subsidies, a state guarantee and a non-refundable subsidy" will also be created, as well as tax benefits.
Finally, the prime minister announced that a programme to strengthen health security will be launched, as well as another dedicated to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure, covering the rehabilitation of "roads, streets, walls, urban equipment and furniture, sports infrastructure, water, sanitation and electricity networks, buildings, seafronts, beaches, rainwater drainage systems and hillside protection".
According to the government official, the reconstruction effort - which includes the World Bank's already announced sum of $10 million (€8.5 billion) under a cooperation programme - will take into account the risks of natural disasters. "We're going to rebuild to be even better, with greater resilience," he assured.
According to figures released today by Portugal's minister for Home Affairs, Paulo Rocha, 251 families have lost almost all their property, 146 have partial damage to their homes, 17 households have lost their homes, and 124 people have been evacuated from areas at risk of collapse.
The government declared a state of calamity in the municipalities of São Vicente (São Vicente island), Porto Novo (Santo Antão island), Ribeira Brava and Tarrafal de São Nicolau (São Nicolau island). São Vicente was the worst hit island, where nine people died and one woman is still missing.
JMC/ADB // ADB.
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