GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP):

British officials announced yesterday that they would send US$1 million to help several Caribbean islands recover from Hurricane Dean, which lashed the region last month.

The money will go to Jamaica, Haiti, Belize, St. Lucia and Dominica to finance temporary shelters and improve sanitation, according to the British High Commission in Guyana. France, which has several Caribbean territories, has pledged similar aid, including US$5.5 million to Martinique.

Two British warships will remain in the Caribbean until November, the end of the hurricane season.

Dean killed at least 20 people in the Caribbean and caused millions of dollars in damage.