US Secretary of State Colin Powell has told the people of Grenada that they will get generous American financial aid to help them rebuild after being hit by Hurricane Ivan last month. Mr Powell saw the widespread damage to housing and infrastructure when he flew over the island during a brief visit on Wednesday. Speaking at a news conference at the airport in Point Salines, he said US President George W. Bush was planning to increase aid to the Caribbean after asking Congress for additional help for Caribbean nations hit by the wave of hurricanes this season. "A grand total of US$100 million additional dollars on top of the US$4.6 (million) I made reference to earlier, will be coming to the Caribbean to help Grenada, to help Jamaica and to help Haiti and to help other nations that have been hit. Grenada has been hit the hardest and so you can expect... that the assistance will be significant," Mr Powell. Devastation The hurricane killed 39 people and destroyed 90% of the island's buildings when it blasted across the Caribbean on 7 September, causing an estimated US$800 million in damage. The island with a population of 90,000 is heavily dependent on tourism and the nutmeg industry, which together account for 40% of the economy. "There's an urgent need to reconstruct the economy as well as rebuilding houses and rebuilding schools," Mr Powell said. He said shelters need to be built for people who remain homeless, the infrastructure needs to be repaired and power needs to be restored. To date, only one-third of the island has electricity. Meanwhile, Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said his government's priority is to reopen schools, which remain closed. Special dispensation Mr Mitchell said Grenadian students will get a special dispensation on university fees following Hurricane Ivan's devastation of the island. With the majority of Grenadians having to start from scratch in rebuilding their homes and finding new possessions, Mr Mitchell asked international donors earlier this week whether the world could hold strain on students abroad who would normally rely on money from back home. "Wherever they are studying, commitments will be made by the respective governments and agencies who will make available support, financial and free tuition from the respective universities so that they can continue their education. "Those going to St George’s University, those going to Canadian universities, British universities all of them will get some serious relief for a particular period it might be a year, it might be two years," Mr Mitchell said. SOURCE: BBCCARIBBEAN.COM