St Vincent and the Grenadines’ diplomats in the United States are appealing for urgent aid to help their homeland in the wake of the Christmas storm that left several people dead and a trail of destruction.
In a letter commissioned to nationals in the diaspora by St Vincent and the Grenadines Consulate General in New York, Consul General Selmon Walters on Saturday appealed for donations of cash, food, clothing, toiletries, water, and medical supplies.
Walters, a former government minister in the administration of Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, noted that the country suffered estimated damage in the region of EC$ 150 million as a result of the December 24 storm.
“Severely affected”
He said nine lives were lost, five people are still missing, and 64 persons remain in shelters.
In addition, the envoy said a number of houses, roads and bridges were destroyed, and that the potable water system is “severely affected”. As a result, Walters said the consulate general, in collaboration with a number of Vincentian organisations in the United States, is “spearheading” relief efforts to send much-needed supplies home.
Meanwhile, St Lucians in New York have mobilised an urgent relief effort to get needed supplies to the island-nation in the wake of deadly rains and flooding on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Eastern Caribbean.
Regionwide, at least 14 persons were killed and there was major infrastructure damage in St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica.
According to the St Lucia House Foundation and the St Lucia Consulate in New York, much-needed relief donations – which are due to be delivered to the island – are children’s and adults’ clothing, blankets, shoes, school supplies and diapers.
“Our prayers are with all those traumatised by the damage caused and in desperate need of food, medical supplies, water, and shelter,” said Foundation President Matthias Wilkie.
“We hope that the government, agencies, churches and individuals will respond generously to help all those affected in order to recover and rebuild their shattered lives.”
Tourism, Heritage and the Creative Industries Minister Lorne Theophilus reassured that tourism is sound — all air and seaports are functional, four cruiseships at the Castries harbour and vendors, tour operators and taxi drivers are working.
Dozens of homes and at least two hotels on Dominica were evacuated because of the danger of landslides and several roads were blocked by mud, according to the AP.
For information on relief efforts to St Vincent and the Grenadines, call the Manhattan consulate at ( 212) 687- 4490 or send email to svgconny@ aol. com.
And other diaspora communities, such as the Caribbean-American residents of Houston, are pitching in to collect relief supplies for St Vincent and St Lucia flood victims.
Hurricane Tomás
“We came together in the aftermath of Hurricane Tomás three years ago and were able to ship over 1500 pounds of clothes, water, first aid supplies, food, etc to aid in recovery,” said event organiser Nicke Joseph, adding that the Houston Caribbean Festival Radio Station was due to hold a live broadcast from relief event at the city’s D’Vybz nightclub.
The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency reported on December 27 that National Emergency Operations Centres have been activated in Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and St Lucia, and “damage and needs assessments are being conducted in each country”.
