A/RES/54/96E-K Page 10 14. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session on the implementation of the present resolution. 80th plenary meeting 15 December 1999 I EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANES JOSE AND LENNY The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 53/1 B of 5 October 1998 and other relevant resolutions under the agenda item entitled “Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations”, Deeply distressed at the damage caused by hurricanes Jose and Lenny and the grave effects on the people, infrastructure and productive sectors of the economies of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Grenada, the Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and several other countries and territories of the region, Deeply concerned at the frequency and unpredictability in the recurrence of these natural disasters, which seriously undermine the capacity of these countries to achieve sustained development, Also concerned that hurricanes and other natural disasters exacerbate the effect of sea level rise, loss of biodiversity and the destruction of land resources and marine and coastal zones, Mindful of the vulnerability of the natural environment and infrastructure of these countries to the effects of these disasters and the new challenges which they present to the efforts of the affected countries and territories to preserve their economic viability and insurability, Conscious of the efforts of the Governments and the peoples of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Grenada, the Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and several other countries and territories of the region to restore infrastructure and rehabilitate productive sectors, particularly agriculture and tourism, Also conscious of the efforts of the Governments and the peoples of the affected countries and territories of the region to save lives and alleviate the sufferings of the victims of the hurricanes, Noting the enormous effort that will be required to rebuild the affected areas and to alleviate the grave situation caused by these natural disasters, Recognizing that the magnitude of the disasters and the medium-term and long-term effects will require, as a complement to the efforts being made by the peoples and the Governments of the affected countries, a demonstration of international solidarity and humanitarian concern to ensure broad multilateral cooperation in order to meet the immediate emergency situation in the affected areas and to initiate the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation, 00 26240 /...