Sint Maarten Launches New Disaster Reserve Fund with World Bank Support

SINT MAARTEN (GREA BAY) - The Government of Sint Maarten and the World Bank have launched a strategic framework and roadmap for the Sint Maarten Disaster Reserve Fund (DRF), marking a significant step in strengthening how the island manages its public finances to secure lives and livelihoods, should future disasters strike. 

In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused USD 2.7 billion in damages to Sint Maarten, destroying approximately 90 percent of the island's infrastructure and triggering a long recovery that depended heavily on external assistance. The DRF is designed to ensure Sint Maarten does not start from zero when the next event occurs.

The Fund will provide a financial safety net for immediate post-disaster response, protect vulnerable households from sliding into poverty, and enable a faster, more self-directed recovery. It ensures Sint Maarten moves away from ad hoc, post-disaster financing toward pre-arranged liquidity, enabling the government to respond quickly and effectively. 

“Today we celebrate a milestone born from months of dedicated work, strong partnership, and a clear understanding that resilience is not built in moments of crisis, but through the decisions we make long before they arrive. It reflects our unwavering belief that Sint Maarten can and must be better prepared for the future.” said the Honorable Marinka J. Gumbs, Minister of Finance, Government of Sint Maarten. 

"Hurricane Irma left a critical question in its wake: what can be done differently before the next disaster strikes. The DRF is part of that answer. This is Sint Maarten's framework and the ownership and ambition rest with the people and institutions of Sint Maarten," said Toyin Jagha, World Bank Trust Fund Program Manager. 

The Fund will be innovatively capitalized: repayments from a reconstruction loan to the Princess Juliana International Airport, advanced by the Government of Sint Maarten, will flow directly into the DRF, turning past recovery into future resilience. 

The launch of the DRF builds on the recently approved Sustaining Program Effectiveness and Advancing Resilience (SPEAR) project, which is as part of a broader effort to strengthen Sint Maarten's governance systems, modernize budget preparation, and embed accountability across government operations. 

The Strategic Framework and Roadmap represent the first step. Making the Fund fully operational will require sustained cross-sectoral engagement in the months ahead. 

About the Sint Maarten Reconstruction, Recovery, and Resilience Trust Fund 

Established in 2018, the Sint Maarten Trust Fund is a tripartite partnership between the Government of the Netherlands, the Government of Sint Maarten, and the World Bank to support Sint Maarten's recovery from Hurricane Irma and build longer-term resilience.

The Trust Fund has financed a broad portfolio of projects across critical sectors, from debris management and airport reconstruction to small business support and social services. 

For more information and updates, visit www.sintmaartenrecovery.org