Help has arrived for St. Vincent and the Grenadines
In April 2021 the island of St. Vincent was ravaged by the sudden Eruption of its “dormant” volcano La Soufrière. St. Vincent is a beautiful island located in the southeast of the Caribbean sea and a part of the magnificent archipelago of Islands known as the west indies. A five hour boat ride and twenty-minute plane ride north of my home Grenada. The island is trumped by tall green mountains and its shores kiss by golden sand and the azure blue Caribbean Sea. In the wake of the disaster, the UN has pledged its support in the form of a monetary appeal to help the island recover. This is explored in an article titled “UN launches $29 million appeal to support the stricken island of Saint Vincent” and will be further extrapolated in this post.
The funding will have an immediate impact on the relief efforts, by providing necessities and financing the removal of the ash. The efforts will also be extended to all countries inadvertently affected by the calamity. All of this while assisting in the fight against COVID-19. La Soufrière is the island's highest peak and for years had been dormant with small signs of activity until April ninth of this year. This has resulted in large-scale evacuations, with thousands being forced from their homes and into shelters and neighboring islands. A spokesperson from the UN expressed his shock at the tragedy and says that it is now indelible in his mind. St. Vincent Prime Minister together with UN resident coordinators for the affected Islands Didier Trebucq are leading the charge to shift the tide with the help of other humanitarian organizations including the World Food Program (WFP) and the UNICEF(UN Children’s Fund). The launch event for the campaign saw guests’ representatives from many other similar organizations who will contribute to the relief campaign.
The relief efforts and immense support hailing from all over the world can give a sense of hope. To the islands and shine a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Though the situation is heartbreaking, the writer seems. Accepting and focused on the path forward. The article is keen on highlighting the patronage and continued support of renowned humanitarian organizations. This provides readers with a bit of solace as the history of such organizations hint at their reliability and capacity to provide assistance.
This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have friends and family on the island of St Vincent and of course in Grenada. The level of support worldwide to this Relief campaign is heartwarming. All the islands subject to the effect of the volcano’s eruption have been showered with assistance and assurance of the longevity of the aid. This is how it should always be. We need more instances like this where there is genuine concern for our fellow humans. It is wishful thinking to believe that countries such as the Caribbean islands and many other developing nations can navigate through such uncertain times alone. On behalf of my Caribbean brothers and sisters, I applaud those who shared their concerns, thoughts, prayers, and resources to this worthy cause. Thank you.
Bibliography
· 2021, La Soufrière volcano: UN launches $29 million appeal to support the stricken island of Saint Vincent, https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/04/1090182