Caribbean officials on Friday requested funding and assistance to fight climate change in the wake of Hurricane Beryl caused destruction in the region.

The officials made the request at an OAS meeting in Washington, DC, highlighting the vulnerability of small island nations. At least seven people died in the Caribbean after Hurricane Beryl razed almost all infrastructure on some of the islands.

The Caribbean delegate for St. Lucia, Virginia Albert-Poyotte, requested climate financing, stating that they were at the front line to address climate disasters. She added that small islands in the Caribbean often have rickety infrastructure and fragile economies that depend on tourism and fishing for sustenance.

A resolution approved by the OAS on Friday stated that previous hurricanes have led to higher insurance premiums, unemployment and poverty. It called for the immediate operation of a loss and damage fund agreed upon at previous UN climate change conferences to help vulnerable countries rebuild and also prepare for future storms.

The resolution also requested that financial and development institutions release funds to small nations affected by disasters on a concessionary basis, free from onerous conditions, and to cancel, defer or reschedule debt repayments.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro noted that funds flowing toward islands affected by Beryl are insufficient, with the UN and Caribbean leaders requesting at least USD 9 million in assistance.

Chet Neymour, the Bahamian delegate, criticized how top greenhouse gas emitters worldwide have remained silent and noncommittal about their responsibilities, noting that the Caribbean is one of the regions most affected by climate change and among those that contribute least to it.

Officials talked about the need to invest in early warning systems and resilient infrastructure, noting that the Atlantic hurricane season has just started.