In pictures: Dominica's desolation 'beyond imagination'

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French Navy personnel on the Roseau coastImage source, Gemma Handy
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The island nation of Dominica was among the worst hit by Hurricane Maria as the storm swept across the Caribbean last week.

Image source, Gemma Handy
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At least 80% of the buildings on the island have been damaged and many of its 72,000 inhabitants have been left homeless. In the capital, Roseau, some houses were still standing but trees have been felled by the strength of the wind.

Image source, Gemma Handy
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In the once picturesque village of Soufriere, on the south-west coast of Dominica, the destruction is clearly visible.

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Wyfee Joules (right) owns Wyfee's Bar in Soufriere. A popular hangout before the storm, locals still gather even though there is little left of the bar.

Image source, Gemma Handy
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Boats were carried inland by the waves and the flooding and now lie abandoned in the former tourist hotspot of Soufriere

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A car mangled during Hurricane Maria in Scott's Head gives an indication of the destructive force of the storm.

Image source, Gemma Handy
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Dominica's Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, on Monday described the damage done to the island nation in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He says that "the desolation is beyond imagination".

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While international assistance has been forthcoming, Dominicans say it has been limited due to the number of other hurricane-ravaged islands in the region.

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With aid and supplies still scarce on the island, Glen Hector is greeted joyously by his mother and sister as he arrives from Antigua loaded with essential goods.

Image source, Gemma Handy
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With so much destruction, residents of Scott's Head have been pulling together, each helping with whatever skill they have. Dr Sam Christian (second from right) has been treating people for everything from cuts and fractures to post-traumatic stress disorder