LAST WEEK, the European Union granted ¤3.5 million (US$4.3 million) in aid to Caribbean nations to help them better prepare for hurricanes. The 2004 hurricane season and the beginning of the 2005 season have once again tragically demonstrated the region's exposure to natural disasters, EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said in a statement. The funds will be used to set up early warning systems, infrastructure aimed at reducing damage, development of emergency plans and awareness campaigns. Belize, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname and the eastern Caribbean islands will be the main beneficiaries of the aid. Reprinted from jamaica-gleaner.com