Fifty police officers are flying to the UK’s overseas territories to help restore order after Hurricane Irma, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says.
The situation across the Caribbean is “very grim indeed”, he said, following an emergency government meeting.
But he said things are improving in the British Virgin Islands where 125 troops are helping to tackle looting.
He added that criticism of the UK government’s response to the disaster was “completely wrong”.
Earlier Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon dismissed complaints that the UK’s response was “found wanting” and that it was slower than France and the Netherlands.
Mr Johnson said: “There’s an unprecedented effort going on by the UK to meet what has been an unprecedented catastrophe in that part of the Caribbean.”
He said that UK military ship RFA Mounts Bay had been in place to help bring aid and supplies to the region during hurricane season.
He added: “Other countries have actually been asking us for help, including the French.”
Some 500 UK troops have been sent to Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, and British Virgin Islands (BVI).
ritish overseas territories are self-governing but rely on the UK for protection from natural disasters.
Charlotte Grayson whose father and siblings live on Tortola, in the BVI, said the government response was “almost invisible”.
“Looting has been rife and he has struggled to obtain more basic supplies for my family,” has said
