Britain is setting up a private-sector taskforce to help with the long-term reconstruction of areas devastated by recent Caribbean hurricanes.
International Development Secretary Priti Patel is announcing the move at a World Bank forum in Washington DC on Friday.
Ms Patel is expected to say: “No small island can reasonably be expected to recover and rebuild from a catastrophic disaster that undermines their entire economy without international support.
“They need businesses to step up. The private sector is key to reviving the region’s economies and must play a central role in the reconstruction of these islands, helping them to build back better.
“We need to reduce the future potential impact on public services and livelihoods of any future disasters. Investing in preparedness makes good financial sense.”
The make-up of the task force will be announced next month.
Ms Patel is also saying that the UK-led Centre for Global Disaster Protection in London will offer all the hurricane-hit countries and UK territories support and advice on disaster risk financing and insurance to ensure they are better prepared to cope with any future hurricanes.