International News - France 24
© AFP/File | A steel drum band celebrated a Chinese-funded program to replace roofs ripped from more than 300 Barbuda homes by Hurricane Irma last September
Steel drums carry a jubilant rendition of "Guantanamera" over the ruins of Barbuda's capital Codrington, as dignitaries and residents mark the latest bit of progress in the island's grueling struggle to recover from Hurricane Irma.
The event celebrated a Chinese-funded program to replace roofs ripped from more than 300 homes by the powerful storm that damaged or destroyed nearly every building on the tiny island when it roared through on September 6 last year.
The project has enabled hundreds of families to return home from sister island Antigua as Barbuda continues the daunting process of rebuilding the 62 square mile (160 square kilometer) isle, where a scant five percent of homes escaped damage.
But it has also burnished the image of China at a time when some in the region, including the tiny archipelago's prime minister, complain that US and European aid have fallen short.
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