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VI pledges $200k each to hurricane-hit SVG & Grenada
This was announced by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) at the opening ceremony of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Eleventh Council of Ministers: Environmental Sustainability (COM:ES 11) at H.Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) in Paraquita Bay on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
The Premier took the opportunity to publicly offer The Virgin Islands’ sympathy and empathy for St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
He said the VI understands what those countries are going through and that these are yet the early days of recovery with a long, hard road ahead with more risk awaiting along that path.
According to the Premier, the Government and people of The Virgin Islands remember well with great appreciation the outpouring of assistance received from the OECS family in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria and are now happy to extend a helping hand to its brethren in their hour of need.
$400,000 donation pledged
“I am pleased to announce, a pledge to St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. $200,000 each to St Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada to contribute to your relief efforts,” Dr Wheatley stated.
The Premier, who chaired COM:ES 11, reminded there is no shortage of serious environmental and sustainability issues that confront the Virgin Islands.
“We know these issues well. We live them every day and they form the COMES agenda that we can currently engrossed in - issues like climate change, pollution and waste management. We could pass the entire evening speaking about the existential threat of climate change alone to our small islands.”
He also shared that within the OECS region of 11 member states, there is now a collection of six member states (55%) that have been hit and devastated by unprecedented, record-breaking hurricanes since Irma and Maria in 2017, including The Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and now, less than a month ago, at the very start of the hurricane season, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada with Beryl.
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13 Responses to “VI pledges $200k each to hurricane-hit SVG & Grenada”
The Caribbean is a disaster prone region, ie, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, especially to hurricanes. The region lies in hurricane belt/alley and every year during hurricane season,which officially runs from June 01 to November 30, some island(s) is hit and devastated by at least one hurricane(s). It is not if but when any island will be hit. The disaster(s) caused by hurricanes set back the progress, growth, and development of fledgling resource-poor countries. The lack of resources slows the build back, resiliency of countries hit by hurricanes; the damages impact the physical infrastructure, ie, roads, water, wastewater, electricity, telecommunications, etc, , along with social infrastructure, ie, schools, medical facilities, etc. The economy, housing, businesses, etc are also impacted. The region must come together, national sovereignty aside, pooling their limited resources to provide some insurance to protect and speed up the recovery. It is commendable and exemplary that the (British) Virgin Islands ( VI) is stepping up to assist Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It cannot and should not be lost that today is the VI sister regional countries dealing with the ravages of a hurricane but tomorrow it could be the VI.
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency ( CDEMA) mimics FEMA in vision and mission but without the resources. CDEMA must be restructured and better resourced, and managed to facilitate pre- and post- disaster response and assistance. Of course FEMA is funded by the US, the #1 global economy.
“Charity begins at Home “