China to offer humanitarian aid to Irma-hit Antigua and Barbuda

The Chinese government has launched an emergency mechanism to provided humanitarian aid to hurricane-hit Antigua and Barbuda, said China’s Ministry of Commerce in a statement on Tuesday.

Hurricane Irma hit the island of Barbuda on September 5, destroying 90 percent of the buildings on the island, cutting water and power supplies and leading to many casualties and huge property losses, according to the statement.

Around 180,000 people were evacuated from Barbuda after the disaster.

Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, said the hurricane had left "a mangled wreck" that is "totally uninhabitable."

The prime minister warned that it may take years for the island to recover from the devastation.