The category 4 storm hit the southern islands of San Salvador, Cat Island and Rum Cay most heavily, as well as Long Island which has also seen its fair share of destruction, on October 3.

Several people were killed while others are still missing as a result of the storm and already the country’s prime minister has predicted the clean-up operation will be a long one.

Now the foundation, which is the non-profit arm of Sandals Resorts International which has set up The Bahamas Relief Campaign which has already received many donations, including both cash and in-kind support for the recovery team.

Further donations can be made via sandalsfoundation.org and are also being accepted on site at all Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple Beach resorts.

President of the Sandals Foundation and chief executive of Sandals Resorts International Adam Stewart said: “Hurricane Joaquin has affected the people of The Bahamas in a way that most of us simply cannot imagine.

“With little to no notice to prepare, Joaquin tragically left locals with nothing, some even losing their lives.

“The Bahamas is close to our hearts, both on a personal and professional level, and we must rally to give them all the help we can to get them back on their feet as quickly as possible.

“Currently, the destination is suffering from a lack of sanitary drinking water, so our efforts are particularly focused on acquiring this resource for those areas worst affected.”

 The after effects of the hurricane have been little reported, so it’s good to see Sandals shine a light on the islands as they seek to rebuild